January 2000

Editorial

We have now entered into a new millennium and I hope that our exchanges of Tantramar stories will continue at the white fence long into the new century!

I am late for delivery with this issue because I had no “did-you-knows” for you! But then, Al Smith and Bud White came through for me. Thanks Bud and Al! It’s probably just as well that I got so few since I needed the writing space anyway in order to bring to you reminiscences of Sackville that have waiting to be told for 65 years!

A few months ago, Mrs. Pauline Spatz brought me a copy of a handwritten manuscript which had been written in the hand of her grandfather, Mr. Willard Wry in 1934. Mr. Wry was a farmer (“the brother of aunt Tilley (Matilda Wry) and Mary Wry”) who was clearly very interested in the community he lived in and its history. I made only a few minor changes to Mr. Wry’s manuscript just to ensure clarity (all words in square brackets were added by me for example) but, overall, Mr Wry’s recollections are written as I received them.

It appears to me that this document was likely the first draft Mr. Wry wrote and it has remained essentially unchanged since he first put his pen to paper. I view this as a “word-picture” (a snapshot) of Sackville as seen through Willard’s eyes (and rich memory) in 1934. If readers have similar treasures from different parts of Tantramar at home, send them in! Thank you Pauline (and Mr. Wry!).

Peter Hicklin

Did you know?

Did you know that in 1690, the first dry dock in Canada was established on the Aulac River near High Marsh Road?

Did you know that electric power first came to Sackville in 1900 — two years before the cities of Moncton and Fredericton and five years before Saint John? And did you know that in that year, the power was supplied by a gasoline generator? And that by 1910, the system had grown to two generators, a 125 kv generator powered by a 225 hp engine and a smaller 40 kw unit powered by a 50 hp diesel engine?

Furthermore, did you know that by 1927, the generating equipment was retired because a new transmission line was built between Amherst and Sackville and the local utility (then owned by Canada Electric Company) began buying power from the Maccan, N.S., coal-fired power plant?

Did you know that Mel’s Tea Room in Sackville was founded by M.E. Goodwin and was located in the Tracy Block on Bridge Street? And did you know that in 1925 it was moved to the Goodwin Block and later to its current location in the Cahill Block on Bridge Street in 1944?

And did you know that Sackville once had a Custom’s office? The Port of Sackville, Custom’s and Excise Office was opened prior to 1868 and was maintained in Sackville until 1971?

And now for Mr Wry’s interesting reminiscences:

Some of the Conditions that Existed as I Remember Them as a Boy

by Willard Wry (1934)

In the early sixties [1860s], there were no trains running in Sackville, but the line was being built between here and Moncton which, at that time, was called “The Bend”. Passengers and express were carried by coach and freight was carried by coasting schooners from different places. However, in 1868, the trains were running as far as Sackville, and I remember going to the station with my mother to see the train come in, and what a wonder it was!

Mr. Willard Wry (1933)

There was a turntable below the station where the crew turned the engine. At that time, wood was used as fuel and I remember the large shed that stood to the north of the station with the long tiers of hardwood in readiness to get up steam.

The I.C.R. (Inter-Colonial Railway] was being built each way at the same time, that is to say, from Truro to Amherst and from Sackville to connect with the other part. I think the first railway bridge over the Tantramar River was built in 1868 and the roadbed [and], sleepers and rails were laid. [The roadbed was] ready to gravel, when the great Saxby tide and gale came on the 4th of October 1869, turning rail sleepers and all into the north ditch. In fact, anything that was loose had (moved). Barns and even small schooners were driven up on high land and dykes were torn down in all dircctions, necessitating a heavy expense. Farmers lost nearly all their hay which was in stack (there being few barns on the marsh at that time) along with cattle and sheep pasturing on the marshlands. One particular incident happened in which a mare and her nursing colt floated on a haystack bottom across the Bay of Fundy to Rockport, alive and well. With extra work and expense, the farmers got the dykes rebuilt and gathered enough hay to get through the winter and stock came out well.

At that time, shipbuilding was carried on quite extensively. Messrs. Wood and Ogden were building, also Christopher Boultenhouse and down at Westcock, Mr Henry and sons were also building and at Wood Point, Mr Charles Barnes, Clifford and Henry Atkinson built one or more schooners.

Messrs. Wood and Ogden built the following Barks that I remember under the guidance of Mr Edward Ogden: Bark Onaway [1877] commanded by Cptn. Wilmott, Kwasind commanded by Cptn. Charles Moses, Siddartha (1880] commanded by Cptn. William Sprague. There was also a brig called the Herbert. She was commanded by Cptn. Elisha Towse. The ships were all built in Sackville; the Bark John Black was built by the same people at Baie Verte and commanded by Captn. William Pringle. Cptn. B.A. Reade built the Annie Maude in 1873. The Dixons and Andersons were builders but it was a little early for me to remember. Since 1876, Messrs. Thos. Egan and sons have built a number of schooners in Sackville. The first was called the Minnie E [1879], followed by the Alaska (1884], the Iona [1885-86], Two Sisters [1896], Bobs (1894], Otto and Roy, Three Links [1898]and others.

In the early days there were a number of coasting schooners carrying supplies to-and-from Saint John and other ports. One was called the Effa commanded by Cptn. Wilson Estabrooks, and at one time the Methodist people held a Sunday School picnic at Rockport and this schooner was engaged to carry the party. The day proved wonderfully fine and we all had a good time, enjoyed by both young and older folks alike. Cptn. Estabrooks had for his crew Amos Hicks, Alexander Gray, and William Bulmer, about 55 years ago.

The farmer’s time in the early days was taken up with ditching and dyking marshlands in summer, also breaking up their farmland and looking after crops, and in winter drew hay, wood and shiptimber. Most farmers kept a large stock in order to enrich their land. There was no fertilizer on the market at that time, from $30 to $60 per ton of which people have received very little return in late years.

People lived a quiet social life and did a little visiting in the slack time of the year. The family in most cases were dressed from a good flock of sheep, and the clothing was manufactured by the family except the carding of wool, while the lambs supplied plenty of fresh meat for the table. In fact, the greater part of farm work was done by hand in those days. Men would mow, rake and pitch the greater part of their hay and grain by hand; the work was slow but well done. The women would have a few neighbors in the afternoon and would have a quilting or mat-hooking with a social chat and tea and would then go home well pleased. Everything seems so different from those days. I think the social part of life has been lost to a great extent.

The women-folk these days get together to play bridge or some other form of amusement in a great many cases, but of course, not all. At the present time, farm work is done largely by expensive machinery and the younger men are looking for a position that carries a good salary, a short day and a free pass where possible.

However, times have changed all around and it is just doubtful if people are as happy as in earlier years. In the early days, the different kinds of manufacturing (that I remember) was carried on by the following: Mr. Charles Fawcett made stoves and tinware in his plant; Messrs. W.B. Dixon and Edward Cogswell built a small plant for the same purpose where the Enterprise Foundry now stands; Mr. James R. Ayer, of Middle Sackville, built and carried on a tanning factory [and] also manufactured harness and oil-tanned moccasins; Mr Abner Smith conducted the same kinds of operations; Mr. Stephen Ayer conducted a harness shop which I believe was burned and which he afterwards located on Bridge Street [where] Mr. A. Rq. Ayer now resides.

The different parties who owned and operated sawmills for the manufacturing of lumber were Messrs. J.M. Hicks, Mariner Hicks, David Wheaton, Harvey Copp and John Robinson who operated in Midgic while A. and W. Ogden owned and operated a mill on what is known as the Ogden Mill Road; Mr. George N. Bulmer owned and operated a saw and grist mill in Frosty Hollow, afterward run by Mr Seth Bulmer (who died since writing).

Mr. George M. Mitton owned and operated a saw and grist mill on the Lower Fairfield Road and Messrs. John and William Morice owned and operated a saw and carding mill. This mill was also used for grinding grain. Located at Silver Lake, the mills were all driven by water power. The product was moved to the nearest shipping port and sent to Saint John by schooners or loaded on larger ships and sent to England except what was required for home use.

Mr. George Campbell, George Weldon, Hibbert and Clifford Black were carriage builders who looked after that line, while Mr. J.W. Dowell, Hiram and Silas Copp were manufacturers of building material for the different lines of work. The location of the factories was where the Town Park now is. This section also contained a skating rink owned by the Copp brothers.

The first rink that I remember was built by Nelson Beckwith and was located near St. Paul’s Church on Mr. Josiah Woods land. The building was round and quite large.

In the sixties and seventies, the mercantile interest was looked after by Messrs. J.L. Black, John and Dixon Beard, Mariner Wood, A. and W. Ogden, John Bell, Lainsery and Vickery, George E. Ford, David G. Dixon, C.A. Bowser, S.F. Black and John Ford Esq. (Mr. Ford was also undertaker at that time).

The medical profession was represented by Dr. Johnson and Dr. Knapp in the sixties and a little later Drs. Flemming and Moore located here. It was in their day that this county was visited by that dreadful disease Diphtheria which was so fatal from 1872 to 1882, in numerous cases claiming the entire family of children.

This community must have been a very law-abiding lot as the only lawyer that I remember was Mr. Christopher Milner. But in the seventies, Mr H.A. Powell and T.A. Kinnear opened offices for the practice of law.

The needs of the travelling public were looked after by Mr. Butler Estabrooks who constructed the Brunswick House which was burned in 1881 or ’82, also by R. K. Patterson, who conducted a Temperance Hotel, where Mr. and Mrs. W.A..Gass now live, from 1872 until her death a number of years ago. Sometime in the eighties, a Mrs. Chappell built and conducted what was known as the Sackville House near the I.C.R. station. It was later taken over by Mr A.W .Dixon. That too was burned with the Enterprise Foundry, I.C.R. Station, and other buildings in July, 1908.

As this county was under a licensed law previous to the passing of the Scott Act, the needs of the thirsty ones were well looked after by numerous vendors, and some of the scenes that took place would be difficult to describe.

The spiritual needs of the different congregations were looked after by the following clergy: the Anglican Church had as their rector Parson Roberts and a Mr. Mulvarney (and one or two others who were here only a short time). Then Dr. Wiggins came and he laboured faithfully for more than fifty years with his people and I am pleased to say we have Dr. Wiggins still with us at 88 years, also Mrs. Wiggins who is somewhat younger.

The Methodist people had for their pastor in the seventies the Rev Douglas Chapman, Dr. Pickard, Dr. Stewart and others, while the Baptist congregation had the Rev. Thomas Todd, G.F. Milner, Mr. Coleman, followed after by G.E. Good and D.G. MacDonald.

The Mount Allison Institution at that time consisted of the original part of the Ladies College, Lingly Hall, where the closing exercises were held, the male academy and a building standing near the Richardson Store, later used for the Engineering Department, also the President’s Cottage. The Charles H. Allison house stood where the Charles Fawcett Memorial Hall now stands and that house burned down a number of years ago. Centennial Hall was built in 1883 and the Conservatory of Music soon after and since that time, the different buildings and additions have been made until Mt. A has arrived to its present proportions.

There were no public banks doing business in Sackville in the sixties and early seventies but Mr. Josiah Wood was doing some business along that line in his Block. As I remember the first office to open for public banking business was a branch of the Merchants Bank of Halifax in the Dixon Block with Mr. Fulton MacDougal as manager. Sometime later, there was another bank opened in the old Music Hall block with different managers including our present town clerk. The banks have changed from time to time until we have the present three doing business here.

The first newspaper that I remember being published was called “The Borderer” and was issued weekly by a Mr. Bowes. He lived on the property now owned by judge A.W Bennett and the building that was used for a printing office also contained a Hall known as Bowes Hall and was used for public gatherings. This building stood on the corner of Bridge and Charles Street, later moved near the railway and converted into tenements and was burned a few years ago.

The Chignecto Post (as it was called at that time) was published in 1870 by Mr. A. C. Milner. The office stood about where Prof. West now resides on Bridge Street. This building was moved later and converted into tenements by the present owner of the Milner property, Mr A. E. Wry. At that time there were fewer streets than at present. The main street leading through the county town, also Bridge St., Charles St., Crescent St., Squire St. (at that time called “the back road”), York St., Foundry St., Charlotte Street, Upper and Lower Fairfield Road that about completed the number of public highways at the time. As the population increased, other streets were opened. The first that I can remember was Salem St. from Main through York. A little later, Union Street was opened. This street runs from Main and connects with Salem St. Soon after, Lansdowne was opened, connecting Union, Charlotte and York. The streets all represent good comfortable homes. Within the last twenty five years, Park and Estabrooks Streets have been opened; lots all sold and the Brunswick House farm is well covered with good homes.

Starting at Crane’s Corner, the land laying south along Main Street to where the Miller block stands, also along Bridge St., just beyond the Cape Railway was owned by Mr. Henry Allison, as a farm, and contained only one small building except the home and a schoolhouse occupied by Mr. Gray as a beauty parlor. That portion of land between Mr. Wood and Son’s store and Squire Street, running north to the marsh, was occupied and I think owned by Cptn. Touse and later sold to Dr. Weldon, who owned and occupied it for a number of years. The street received its name from the landowner and led to his private residence. Sometime in the late seventies, the front facing Bridge St. was sold to Mr. J.W. Dowell and he erected a woodworking factory and soon after Charles Dowell followed his brother in building another factory; later these factories changed owners and were conducted by Hiram and Silas Copp and I think these buildings were burned.

The remainder of this farm was sold by Dr. Weldon to Mr. Edward Trueman and later cut up into building lots and sold to different parties who erected good homes. Squire Street got its name from Squire J.L. Bent who lived about where Mrs.Weldon now lives and I think there were only six houses on the two streets until one came to higher ground and there were a number of good farms.

In the early seventies, there was a movement made by a few men to have a railway built to the Cape and I think Mr Josiah Wood was the main advocate, and sometime after there was a charter granted and a survey made. Work was started by Messrs. Gray and Wheaton and continued until the road was completed as far as Baie Verte in the year 1884; and in 1887, the road was completed to the Cape. A little later there was a survey made for a street from Bridge Street to the station and what is called Lorne Street was opened. The first building that was erected is owned by the Eastern Hay and Feed Co. This street represents some good business stands. After the death of Mr Henry Allison, his property was cut up into building lots and sold. Allison Avenue was opened through this property and a number of good homes erected.

The Sackville High School is located on this street. On the west corner, opposite the Royal Bank, stands the Dixon Block. This was purchased by Mr. Amasa Dixon who at that time conducted a drug store in a small building near the larger one, also the Post Office in another small building, with Mr Joseph Dixon as postmaster. These two buildings are still standing to the south of George E. Ford and Sons store. At that time, the remainder of this property was owned and occupied by Mr John Bowser as far as the Brunswick House, and later sold to Mr Ford. In fact, about all the land on the south side of York Street and a portion on the north side belonged to the Bowser family. Dr Pickard, also his brother Thos. Pickard, who was connected with the Mt. A Institutions, purchased one of these farms. This property is now owned by Dr Gass, John Fillmore and others and the free-stone quarry, which is on this farm, is owned by the Mt.A. Institutions.

The building trades were carried on by the following masons and bricklayers – Messrs. George and Hazen Bulmer, Amos Anderson, Isaac Barnes, John Smith, contractors and builders Messrs. George Lund, John Estabrooks, Israel Atkinson, J.W .Dowell, Hiram and Silas Copp, Isaac and Thos. Wry and, I think, Charles Trueman.

Painters were Messrs. John E. Ford, C.B. Richarson, John Scur, and the blacksmith trade was looked after by Messrs. Ainsley Bowser, T.W. Bell, Alexander Macintosh, James Robson, Douglas Chase and Edmond Kinnear, while Mr Rodrick McLeod attended to the ironing of ships with the help of other men. The shipbuilding required a large number of men, there being so many different kinds of work to be done. And I have heard that there have been two hundred employed in Sackville at one time. Wages was small but plenty of work and nearly every person had a few dollars and kept their own bank at home. Many people had very little to worry about fifty or sixty years ago as far as I can remember.

Mr Nathan Lowerison and W.E. Barnes owned the first mowing machines that came to Sackville or were owned here. While I think the honour falls to Mr. Thos. E. Patterson to hang up the first horse fork for handling hay; the first hay press was installed and operated by Mr. John Stronach. This was called a beater press, as it worked with a hoist – the same as a spele driver and the weight was half a ton. The bales were large and nearly square and were secured with wood hoops similar to those used on apple barrels. Messrs. Thos. Dixon and Lebias Richardson followed soon after with another of the same kind. The hay at that time was moved to the press, while in the last forty or more years, the press has been moved to the hay since steam and gasoline have been used for power. In the old days, oxen were used mostly for drawing heavy loads and even for moving buildings and I have seen 50 or more yoke of heavy oxen attached to one building moving it along the road as one would a load of wood.

With the introduction of machinery on the farm, hand labor was considerably lessened but by the opening of the Inter-Colonial Railway, a large number got employment from that source and a large number went to the United States, particularly the young men, and after shipbuilding had about ceased in this place, the older men, to quite an extent, found employment with Uncle Sam. Also wages were low in any case, one dollar per day of ten hrs., or by the month with board from 16 to 18 dollars in summer and in winter 10, while the railway was paying the same rate for section men, with one pass a year. These conditions prevailed from forty to sixty years ago.

Prices of farm produce were also very low at that time. In our early experience, we have sold pork for 4 cents per pound, beef at 5 cents per pound and have loaded pressed hay at Sackville Station for three dollars and seventy-five cents per ton, choice seed potatoes for thirty cents per bushel at seed time, good lambs for $1.50 to $2.00 each, butter 18 cents and eggs as low as 8 cents per dozen. Turkeys brought 12 cents, geese and chickens 10 cents per pound; while on the other hand, some of the necessities of life were higher than they are today.

Heavy brown sugar cost 10 cents, while refined (as it was then called) cost 16 to 20 cents per pound and Ontario flour, 7 to 8 dollars per barrel. At one time, at least it went to 13 dollars. Think of a man working thirteen days for a barrel of flour! Boots, shoes and footwear of all kinds were cheap and some lines of clothing. However, we managed to get along and took conditions as they were and found no fault.

And now just a word with regard to present conditions which are no doubt bad enough, but there has been so much talk and so much advertising, that people have become alarmed of what might happen. But why be alarmed? There have been depressions before and will be again. There is always a silver lining to the dark cloud and will be again although it may not show up at once. So let us cheer up for the sun will shine again and let us profit by this experience and provide for the rainy day that always comes.

Celebrating Heritage Week 2000

Preliminary schedule of events

Saturday, February 19, 2000 — Tantramar Regional High School, Sackville, N.B.:

• 7:00 to 11:00 am: Heritage Breakfast — Enjoy a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, beans and toast.
• 10:00 to noon: Antique Appraisals

Heritage Lectures

• When Yorkshire Came to Nova Scotia —Phyllis Stopps
• Towards a Yorkshire Studies Centre —Renee de Gannes
• The Wesleyan Chair and Other Stories —Shirley Dobson

Summer, 1999

Editorial

Dear friends,

Summer is almost here and the history archives at the white fence are getting unbearably warm! Repair work has begun on the Campbell Carriage Factory (Yahoo!!) and I visit as often as I can anticipating a new discovery each time I walk in! It’s very exciting to see part of our community’s history come to life again.

Over the past year, I’ve explored different tunnels within the rich mine of Sackville history which were opened for me by miners Margaret Henderson, Bud White and the late Mrs. Mildred Estabrooks (via Ralph). And when I dug into this treasury of Tantramar’s history, I came across two veins of historical gold! These are are: i) Margaret’s interesting summary of many aspects of Sackville’s history (presented to you in part here as a series of did you knows) followed by ii) Mrs. Estabrooks’ newspaper article on the centenary of J. L. Black and Sons Ltd. (since Ralph worked there for 21 years) published in the Sackville Tribune-Post on September 15, 1947. I found the newspaper article so interesting (and such an integral part of the town’s history) that I present it to you here in full.

So, for those of you who live outside of town, I must warn you that this issue is primarily about the town of Sackville. But you likely see that some of the things that relate especially to the history of the town of Sackville could also apply (or be very similar) to other small towns (and businesses like J.L. Black’s) in the Maritime Provinces.

But first of all…

Did you know?

Did you know that the Ram Pasture, which is now a small salt marsh island in Cumberland Basin, near where the old dump used to be, was a busy port used for shipbuilding and ship repairs? Between 1829 and 1889, 156 vessels were built there! As well, ships were built at yards at Dorchester Creek and a few ships were built at Wood Point at Allen’s Creek.

Did you know that Sackville’s first Post office was located on Bridge street opposite the Marshland’s Inn and that Mr. Christopher Milner was the first postmaster?

Did you know that around 1871, a private bank was opened in Sackville by Mr. Wood and Sons and that in 1884, it was taken over by the Halifax Banking Company? The Royal Bank (formerly Merchant’s Bank – Halifax – incorporated in 1869) opened in Sackville in 1883 and The Bank of Nova Scotia first opened in Sackville in January, 1906.

Did you know that in 1856, the newspaper “The Borderer” – the first to be printed between Saint John and Halifax – was established by Edward Bowes who was a former schoolteacher in Upper Sackville? And did you know that after the death of Mr. Bowes, The Borderer was purchased by “The Chignecto Post” which had been founded in 1870 by Mr. W.C. Milner.

And did you know that by 1896, The Chignecto Post became known as The Sackville Post and was a semi-weekly owned by Mr. A.H. MacCready? The Tribune Printing Company was started in 1902 by Mr. C.C. Avard and The Sackville Tribune began its life as a weekly paper and in 1905 it became bi-weekly. In 1906, the Tribune Printing Company moved into its new building on Main Street.

Did you know that in 1820 a school with thirty pupils attending was located at Crane’s Corner? And did you know that in 1845 a boys’ school was operated by Mr. Barnes at Westcock and, a little later, Mr. James Rogers opened a school near the corner of the Fairfield Road?

Did you know that in 1906, The Argosy listed four doctors in Sackville? These were:

• H.T. Knapp M.D. C.M.: office on Main Street; special attention given to diseases of the skin.
• J.H. Secord M.D. C.M.: special attention given to testing eyes and supplying glasses. Office in residence on York Street (Trenholm’s Store).
• J.D. Calkins M.D.: physician/surgeon. Office on York Street — opposite Ladies’ College.
• E.M. Copp M.D.: Bridge Street. General Practice and eye, ear, nose and throat specialist.

Did you know that, at that time, Sackville also had two dentists? They were:

• Dr. E.R. Hart: graduate of Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery (“special attention given to treatment and regulation of teeth. Also porcelain bridges and fillings”). Office in Residence on York St. (where the Vienna Coffee House now located).
• Dr. J.W. Sangster: established in 1882; post-graduate of “American College”, Chicago (1884). “Nitrous Oxide gas administered for the painless extraction of teeth”. Office in Post-Office block — telephone communication.

Did you know that in 1806 William Crane first opened a store at the south end of the Lower Fairfield Road? It was soon after lost to fire and Mr. Crane re-built the store on land that became known as “Crane’s Corner” (where The Corner Drug Store- and now Tim Horton’s- was/is located). And did you know that Sackville’s first pharmacy was opened in 1863 by Mr. Amasa Dixon? It was located at Crane’s Corner and customers came from far and wide to purchase goods at this store.

In order to get to Crane’s Corner at that time, did you know that there was a ferry boat which ran from Westcock to Westmorland Point? And furthermore, did you know that the Tantramar River was fordable at one point, at low tide, so people could cross to get to Crane’s Corner?

Did you know that in 1911, R.G. Henderson located his drug store in the Copp Block (beside The Royal Bank)? It took over the W. R. Rodd Store which contained a book store run by Miss Jane Henderson.

Did you know that many of the large mercantile and manufacturing businesses in this town had their beginnings in Middle and Upper Sackville? For example, did you know that in the early part of this century, farmer George A. Fawcett shipped potatoes from this area to Maine, Boston and other U.S. markets?

Did you know that in 1810, Willliam and John Morice had grist, lumber and carding mills near the present bridge at Silver Lake (known as Morice’s Pond at that time)? Farmers came from miles around to have their wool carded at the Morice Mill. The carding machine was bought by the Morices from Amos Botsford who had a small mill at Westcock and who closed his mill in 1812.

Did you know that the Morices also had a motor launch, sailboats and rowboats which were rented for recreational purposes? Did you know that one popular recreational part of Morice’s Pond was “Patton’s Point” where the picnic grounds were located? And did you know that the Morice’s Mill at that time made carts and other farm implements as well as household furniture? They specialized in spool beds.

Did you know that 37 years ago, J.L. Black and Sons Ltd. closed its business in Sackville after 115 of operation? And that 52 years ago, it celebrated 100 years of successful operation in Sackville?

Join me and let’s re-live that centenary celebrated half a century ago: Imagine that today is September 15, 1947, and you are in your house looking for a few minutes rest by reading the Sackville Tribune Post. And the headline and cover story read as follows:

Local Firm in Business For One Hundred Years

Joseph L. Black and Sons Limited Celebrate a Century in Business

The well-known firm of Joseph L. Black and Sons, Limited, this year celebrates its one hundredth anniversary. It has come a long way since the founder, Mr. Joseph L. Black, first commenced business for himself in 1847 in a building 22 × 30 feet in size situated in Middle Sackville on the east side of the highway on land which later formed part of his homestead premises and on which the residence of the present head of the firm stands today. At the time the business was commenced the store contained approximately $800.00 worth of goods. The founder secured this fine assortment for those historic days by putting up $200.00 in cash, which he had saved from the wages of his previous employment, and borrowing $600.00. In the early days of the business, Mr. Black lived in a modest way in a bachelor apartment over the store. The flat contained two rooms — one his bedroom and the other his kitchen, dining room and parlour.

One hundred years has certainly seen this firm progress far. Today Joseph L. Black and Sons Limited is a firm well-known throughout the Maritime Provinces. The company now operates a wholesale and retail merchandising business, a large farm and for many years has been one of the leading lumber operators in Southeastern New Brunswick.

The history of the Black enterprise in the Sackville area really began when Samuel Freeze Black, a grandson of the famed Bishop Black, came to Middle Sackville in 1839 and established a store there. Six years later, his nephew Joseph L. Black came over from Amherst and commenced work as a clerk in his uncle’s store. Two years later, in 1847, Samuel F. Black’s residence in Middle Sackville burned and he moved to Sackville where he established a store in the building now occupied by the Sackville Harness Company, Limited, and erected a residence to the rear and at one side of the store. Upon his departure from Middle Sackville in 1847, he sold out his business there to his nephew Joseph L. Black. The founder of the firm Joseph L. Black and Sons Limited was an able and progressive man. He not only built up and carried on a large-scale merchandising, lumbering and farming business, but he took an active part in public life as well. He represented Sackville Parish at the first meeting of the Municipal Council of the County of Westmorland which met in Dorchester on the 7th of June, 1877. The following year he was elected to the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. He represented this area in Fredericton for seven years. Dr. Milner, in his history of Sackville, says of him:”While a member he was indefatigable in the public interest. He was independent, progressive and had reform ideas which brought him into conflict with his colleagues. This decided him to retire”.

In the early 1890s the Chignecto Post published a Supplement in which the careers of prominent Sackville business men were outlined. Here, in part, is what the Supplement had to say regarding Mr. Joseph L. Black:

“Very few men are engaged in active business for forty-four years and the number of those who carry on one certain enterprise for that length of time, is so small that when a case is met with, it can hardly be given too prominent mention, but, even if such were not the case, we would still be justified in ascribing to Mr. J.L. Black a leading position in this review of Sackville’s business men, for no man is more universally known and esteemed, or is a more truly representative citizen in every sense of the word. He is a native of Amherst, Nova Scotia, and began operations as a dealer in dry goods and groceries forty-four years ago, since which time his business has grown to its present large proportions. He represented this constituency in the Legislative assembly for seven years and he is also a member of the Board of Regents of Mount Allison.

Mr. Black occupies a spacious and convenient premises on Main Street and deals at both wholesale and retail, in flour, meal, feed, oats, hay, staple groceries, dry goods, clothing, hardware, furniture, etc., and carries a very large stock, quotes low prices and assures prompt service.

His tailoring department, conducted by Mr. Snowdon, gives employment to six assistants, so that orders can be filled at short notice, and those desiring a good fitting and an honestly made garment can get just what they want at a moderate price at this establishment.

Mr. Black also makes a specialty of lumbermen’s and farmers’ supplies and is prepared to fill the largest orders at the shortest notice. He has always made it a rule to deal liberally and fairly by his customers, to give them the opportunity to choose from a very large and complete stock, to sell all goods strictly on their merits, and to quote bottom prices on all commodities dealt in. Employment is given to quite a large staff of careful and attentive assistants, and customers are promptly as well as politely served.”

The business expanded rapidly as the years passed. A new store, 34 × 72 feet in size, was erected in 1865 and in 1890 an additional 26 × 72 feet was added. The business expanded steadily and new lines were constantly added. By the turn of the last century, the daily sales often exceeded the total stock with which the business was begun. The stock then kept on hand was worth from $25,000 to $30,000.

The late Joseph L. Black did not confine himself to merchandising alone. He established himself as one of the leading lumber dealers in eastern New Brunswick and also interested himself in extensive agricultural projects.

Today the firm owns outright some 23,000 acres of timberland. In some years production from these lands, and purchases of logs from the owners of adjoining lands has totalled from six to seven million feet of lumber. The original $800.00 investment has certainly been multiplied many times.

The chief lumber mill of Joseph L. Black and Sons, Limited, was for many years situated at the head of the tide on the Aboushagan river, four miles from the Northumberland Straits. The firm also operated a second mill further up the river. The early mills were operated by water power and the company produced deals, battens, long scantling, planed and matched boards, lath and shingles. Today the water operated mills have been abandoned and portable mills have now cut the company’s logs.

Joseph L. Black was also a leader in agriculture. The agricultural branch of the business was commenced about 1875. He had 90 acres of land in one block under cultivation, 180 acres of heavy-hay producing marsh in the Middle Sackville area, and in addition he cultivated an extensive acreage in Aboushagan. In one year he produced approximately 1,000 tons of hay, some 1,500 bushels of grain, 3,000 bushels of turnips and did a substantial business in the sale of beef cattle to both local and export markets. Other ventures Mr. Black was responsible for were a water-power operated flour mill in Aboushagan and a lobster factory in Cape Tourmentine.

In 1901 it was decided to incorporate the business and a charter was granted for that purpose on May 7, 1901. The officers elected were Joseph L. Black, President; Burton E. Black Secretary-Treasurer, F.B. Black and J.W.S. Black, sons of Joseph L. Black, were both elected Directors of the Company. Joseph L. Black died April 17, 1907, and he was succeeded as president of the Company by his eldest son F.B. Black, later known throughout Canada as Senator F.B. Black. Another son, J.W.S. Black, also took a leading part in the administration of the affairs of the Company and John Baird became Secretary-Treasurer.

J.W.S. Black died in October, 1916, and John Baird, the Secretary-Treasurer, passed away in 1921. The latter was replaced by Bedford Harper. Mr. Harper died some 12 years later and was succeeded by the late G.T. Morton.

The third generation of the family took their places in the business as they completed their education. J. Laurence Black, the eldest son of Senator F.B. Black, and Robert S. Black, the eldest son of J.W.S. Black, were elected Directors of the Company in 1929.

The Company suffered a serious loss in 1939 when their general store, offices and warehouses in Middle Sackville, were destroyed by fire. Partial insurance was carried but the net loss was estimated at approximately forty thousand dollars.

At that time the Company had two stores operating in the town of Sackville, a flour and feed store on Lorne Street and a Hardware Store on Bridge Street. Business was carried on temporarily in these two establishments and a large building was purchased in Middle Sackville from the A.E. Wry Standard, Limited, in which the Middle Sackville business and head office were re-established and where they are still operating.

The Lorne Street business and the Bridge Street hardware store were closed in the early years of World War II because of the serious displetion of the management and staff of the company due to enlistments in the armed forces.

The late Senator F.B. Black was President of the Company from 1907 until his death in 1945. He, too, had a very distinguished career. Under his guidance the Company continued to expand and in addition to merchandising, lumbering and farming, a wholesale grocery business was established. Senator Black’s business interests extended far beyond the enterprises of the Black Company. He was President of the New Brunswick Telephone Company, Limited, Marven’s Limited and the Maritime Advertising Agency, Limited, and a Director of the Maritime Life Assurance Company and the Maritime Trust Company. Apart from his business endeavours Senator Black had a distinguished career in public life and in the army. He was at one time Mayor of Sackville and a member of the Legislature of the province of New Brunswick. On November 25, 1921, he was appointed a member of the Senate of Canada and he continued to represent New Brunswick in the Upper house at Ottawa until the time of his death. In Military circles his record was no less brilliant. He served overseas in the First Great War as a Brigade Major, Colonel, and Brigade Commander. For a number of years he was Honorary Colonel of the 8th Princess Louise’s (New Brunswick) Hussars. He took an active interest in the affairs of Mount Allison, and for a number of years, as was his father before him, he was a member of the Board of Regents of these educational institutions. In recognition of his service to his country, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by Mount Allison in 1927. Senator Black died in February, 1945.

The present officers of the company are J. Laurence Black, President; Robert S. Black, Vice-President, and J. William Black Secretary-Treasurer. All three are grandsons of the late Joseph L. Black.

J. Laurence Black, the President of the Company, was born in 1900, a son of Senator and Mrs. F.B. Black, and was educated at Upper Canada College and the Royal Military College, Kingston. He served overseas during World War 2 and held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at the time of his discharge. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Telephone Company, Limited, and until its sale recently, was president of the Moncton Broadcasting Company.

Robert S. Black, the Company Vice-President, is a son of the late J.W.S. Black. He was educated at Rothesay Collegiate School and MacDonald College. He served with distinction during World War 2 and was retired with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at the close of hostilities.

The Company Secretary, J. Wm Black, is the younger son of Senator and Mrs. F.B. Black. He is a graduate of Mount Allison University and is presently a director of the Maritime Trust Company and of Marven’s Limited.

The history of Joseph L. Black & Sons Limited would not be complete without mentioning John Black, a son of the late J.W.S. Black, who gave his life in World War II while serving with the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. This young man was a graduate of Mount Allison University and a promising young life was cut short when he fell in France in 1944.

Contributions solicited

Without Margaret Henderson’s and Bud White’s interest and contributions I could not have put together this last winter/spring ’99 issue of The White Fence. But we are also indebted to the late Mildred Estabrooks who so wisely preserved that story in the Sackville Tribune-Post about the centenary of J.L. Black and Sons and to Ralph who kindly remembered to pass it on to me.

And so my friends, I’m sure many of you have other interesting stories (untold or hidden away) which deal about the history of the Tantramar region. So I would heartily welcome family histories or historic tales from Dorchester, Memramcook, Port Elgin and Cape Tourmentine (to name a few) so that the whole region’s history can be better appreciated.

Again, I will need your assistance for information, stories, interesting “did you knows” and historical events that you may wish to present and/or debate. So please call me during the day at 506-364-5042 or at home at 506-536-0703 or write to me (or visit) at the following address:

Peter Hicklin, c/o Canadian Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 6227, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6

ATTENTION: SOME DUES STILL DUE. For some of you (with your address label in italics on the envelope that this newsletter came in), membership dues for 1999 have not yet been received. So please send $10.00 to the Tantramar Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 6301, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6 or this will unfortunately be your last newsletter!

Sackville’s Built Heritage: A Voyage in Space and Time

Following the Trust’s Annual General Meeting in June, Dr. Rob Summerby-Murray spoke to the members about an on-going study of Sackville’s heritage buildings, a project that involves his Mount Allison geography class. Here are some excerpts from his talk.

One of the positive consequences of declining rates of industrial and urban developments in late 19th/early 20th Century Maritime Canada has been the maintenance of historic buildings in many small towns … (T)hey have become vital parts of the economic resurgence of the Maritimes, contributing to employment in tourism, hospitality industries, and the general attractiveness and cultural vibrancy of small towns such as Sackville.

… (Our project focuses) on particular details of these (buildings) to construct some patterns and geographies. … I wanted to introduce (my third year historical geography class) to working with historical building information and wanted them to start thinking about heritage planning in small town settings. … (We were able to) sort through the 75 pieces of architectural data we have for each of Sackville’s 329 listed historic buildings and use the property tax assessment data of about a quarter of a million entries for Westmorland County to plot a symbol on our maps.

… The first set of maps relates to periods of construction. … A further set of patterns comes from maps of building type, materials, and architecture.

… Our voyage in space yielded distinct patterns within Sackville’s historic buildings. Some clues as to the shift of focus from Upper and Middle Sackville, the changing role of the York-Bridge axis, and the … use of building materials, particularly the way in which the use of the most expensive of these complements the York-Bridge axis.

… Sackville’s historic buildings allow us to travel through time in a number of ways. … We can journey vicariously into another era, the era of the building’s construction, and come to learn something about the builders and owners, their economic and political success and something of the community in which they lived. … Patterns of historic buildings can tell us something about the construction periods through time, what people considered good building locations and better areas. Further, historic buildings become catalysts for research: genealogical, architectural, economic, etc.

… We are slowly discovering that historic buildings can be used to generate economic growth, not necessarily as museum pieces but as a means of selling a small town and its character. … Perhaps as managers of this heritage resource, as owners, as educators, as policy makers, we should re-evaluate what role our historic buildings play in the Sackville landscape. … The processes that built Sackville’s historic buildings continue to be expresses in our views of what Sackville’s future should be and what the built environment should look like. There is a natural tendency to preserve the biggest, the oldest, the most spectacular, the houses of the rich and famous. … By perpetuating this view of history we are inadvertently continuing the cultural dominance of the owners … Further, we currently have little by way of heritage planning or protection policy. … Most of the buildings listed … could be destroyed at any time. What should we be doing about this?

Campbell Carriage Factory Update

by Peter Hicklin

On 28 July, 1999, I visited the Campbell Carriage Factory buildings which are presently undergoing renovations. I spoke with Chris Murray who, with Troy Lorette and Tim Wells, are busy renovating the physical structure while Christine Fillion, Erich Guthrie and Erin Baker are busy cataloguing artifacts. Here’s an update on the work presently going on.

Chris, Troy and Tim are in their 11th week of carpentry work on the site. And, from my perspective, they’ve accomplished a great deal of great (though sometimes difficult) work on the site! Here’s a list of what had to be done: the foundation was in tatters and so a) the whole building has to be jacked up, b) the old foundation stones removed, c) the building re-silled, d) new footings made, e) old stones returned to the foundation and replaced in the same order they were found, f) cement back wall “poured” behind the stone, g) building set back down onto the renovated (and solid!) foundation, h) fixed the old well where the old wooden pump will be returned, i) two feet of shale added to the floor, compacted with 4 inches of crushed stone and added drain tiles all around the building (inside and outside!). Large beams which had rotted after the back area was destroyed had to be replaced. And the large windows which lit the inside of the building are presently being re-built at King’s Landing.

Considering the dilapidated condition that the building was in when Chris and the boys started this project, it is quite remarkable to see this historical structure come back to life. So today, when I look at the exterior of the building, I cannot help but think that I am looking at what George Campbell and family (and employees) looked at (and worked in) 100+ years ago!

At present, the carpenters are concentrating on repairing the roof on what was, at one time, the painting area. The re-boarding of the downstairs walls remain to be completed and siding added to the exterior of the building. And after this, a new cement floor will be poured and, once that dries, a wooden floor added. Then the entire building will be washed down with the town fire truck! It will then be time to draft plans for work on the interior working spaces and return the building back to a productive carriage factory! Anyone want to get a fine carriage built?

With regards to the artifacts, Christine, Erich, and Erin have catalogued 2,340 items out of the approximately 26,000 recovered from the building (i.e. about 9.0% done!) On the day I visited, about 300 items still need to be identified and researched before they can be catalogued. Christine is asking for any volunteers in our membership to help out. They need you!!

While I was there, I asked Christine if she had seen any articles of particular interest. She indicated that they had recently found 3 “blueprints”; 5″ x 8″ pieces of wood with a sketch of a buggy design with the measurements! No filing cabinets needed in those days! They also found a 9′ x 3″ template of a buggy giving the length and smooth curvature of the wood with all the spots marked where different portions of the frame (for example, the locations where the seat began and ended) were to be included.

If you have a chance, go visit the site, dear friends! We have a real historic treasure in the making!

March, 1999

Editorial

Dear friends,

Since the last time we communicated, the prospecting in Tantramar’s deep mine shaft of history has continued unabaited. I must report to you that my main finding this winter has not been any new discovery of a major historic mineral “vein” but most interesting meetings with other miners, some of whom I had never met before! For example, along one narrow and dark corridor of the mine, I came across miner Margaret Henderson who, with with pick-ax in hand and a bright light on her miner’s hat, has been busy exploring the commercial history of Sackville. The evidence she has already gathered suggests that she’s coming up with (for lack of a better expression) “pay dirt”! And as I turned into another corridor of the mine shaft, I bumped into Lloyd “Bud” White, his skin blackened from hours of digging, with a bagfull of gems he was bringing up to the light of day. But I must tell you about our senior miner, Donna Beal, who is working deep in the old “Ford Hotel” shaft. She tells me that she has yet to strike gold but informs me that, by the next time we meet along the White Fence, she expects to have many riches to unload and for me to report on.

…But on a sad note…

I have to end my editorial to you with a very sad note this time. The day before yesterday was Mr. Herbert C. Read’s funeral. I was not informed of Mr. Read’s passing until after I began writing this editorial.

Herbert C. Read

The last time I spoke to Mr. Read, soon after the last newsletter arrived to everyone’s door, he presented me with the history of the Read family’s grindstone business as dictated by his father, Herbert W. Read, to Dr. George Stanley at Mount Allison University in 1971. Mr. Read had summarized the interview and wished to see it published by the Tantramar Heritage Trust for its members who, like himself, were interested in the history of the Tantramar region. It meant much to Mr. Read to speak at The White Fence, a spot he knew well, about an industry he was so proud of and which played such a prominent role in his family’s history and, consequently, the history of this region. Under these circumstances and for this issue only, our miners stand, with heads bowed and caps in hand, in honor of Mr. Read. Their gems will be presented to you in the spring write-up of our meetings at the White Fence.

And so, in honor of Mr. Read and his family, I present you with “Grindstone History” by the late Mr. Herbert C. Read (1916–1999). Except for spelling and minor formatting, it is presented to you, largely unedited, much as I received it from the hands of Mr. Read last November.

—Peter Hicklin

Grindstone History

compiled and edited by Herbert C. Read (1990, 1991 and revised in 1995)

(The following is the history of the Read Grindstone dynasty as dictated to Dr. George Stanley by my father, Herbert William Read, at Mount Allison University, Tuesday, 20 July, 1971 with other information gleaned from notes of R.C. Read, younger brother of Herbert W. Read).

My name is Herbert William Read. I was born in Frederick, Kansas, because my mother’s people were living there at that time. I am a Canadian. My father was Henry C. Read. He married Maud Olive Skiles in Pittsburgh. My grandfather was Joseph Read of Minudie, Nova Scotia, and my great-grandfather, who started the Read Grindstone business, also lived in Minudie. My father was born in Minudie just before grandfather moved some two miles to Barronsfield where he had built a large house, “Glenburn”, which is now (1971) vacant and going to ruin.

My family has had a long association with the grindstone business. It was not a large business in Canada. I suppose one could say that the Canadian grindstone industry was of negligible importance from a national point of view. Probably it was negligible from a provincial point of view also. I do not think the annual output ever exceeded $100,000 about the same as the silver market. But it was very very important in the early days to the people at the head of the Bay of Fundy and, later on, to communities such as Stonehaven in Gloucester County, Woodburn and Pictou Island in Pictou County and Quarryville in the Miramichi area. The Reads came into the picture about 1810 when my great grandfather leased a shore property at Lower Cove, near Joggins Mines, from Amos Seaman, more popularly known as “King” Seaman.

To go back to the beginning, perhaps I should define what a grindstone is, because a lot of people these days just do not know – some folks remember one of their grandfather’s farm where they were sometimes asked to turn the Grindstone while Grandpa sharpened an axe or a mower cutter or a scythe. Actually, grindstones were a scarce article, although they never commanded the price of a rare commodity. For example, in Canada the only grindstones came from the Maritime Provinces and only a very few places in the Maritime Provinces. A grindstone is simply a sandstone, usually turned round on a lathe, in which the particles are sharp, and the sharp particles are bonded in nature so that the bond will break down under pressure and sharpen whatever is pressed against it as it is turned or moved. A sandstone with round particles would not make a grindstone!

In Canada, the grindstone business probably started in a local way in the 1600s by the Acadian French whose only concentration of any size in the Maritimes was based in the huge areas of marshland they had dyked at the head of the Bay of Fundy. With the twice daily ebb of the famous 30′ – 60′ tides of the bay, the countless sandstone ledges were laid bare for four hours or more. Thus it was possible to go out on the rocks, knock off a piece of stone and shape it with hand tools into a rough grindstone. Most people, when they think of grindstones, see the small ones still to be found on the occasional farm, or they remember people saying they should put their nose to one! However, the stones that produced the high and profitable tonnage were from four to seven feet in diameter and anywhere from three to fifteen inches in thickness – the largest of these weighing 4 tons. So the small grindstones that the commercial quarries made were, in effect, a by-product of the production of the larger stones which were used extensively for industrial production purposes. Historically, grindstones must go back pretty well into the year one. After all, when you rub two hard substances together, you get abrasion. When pre-historic men sharpened their first bronze and iron tools, they probably did it on a flat stone. But the wheel goes back a long way too, and it is reasonable to think that the grindstone goes back almost as far as the wheel – about 5000 years!

From a world point of view, the first and most important place for making grindstones was, I believe, England, although grindstones were also produced in France and Germany around the same period. In the United States, most grindstones were produced in Ohio, although some stones were produced in Michigan and West Virginia. So the grindstone was really a scarce article but was not really a big business. It was important to the people I mentioned and to the industries that developed in New England during the eighteenth century.

There was no stone in New England suitable for making grindstones so, for a century or more, the grindstones needed for industrial production had to come either from the Maritimes or from England.

The grindstone business in Canada probably began around the head of the Bay of Fundy, on a local farm-use basis, during the “Ancien Regime”. The stone there had the necessary abrasive quality. When the New Englanders moved in after 1755, they too began to quarry grindstones for their own use. My great-grandfather founded the Read Stone Company in Minudie, Nova Scotia, about 1809, but the grindstone business had been well established in the export trade before then.

Grindstone makers on the shore of Baie des Chaleurs (c. 1890). Local residents and merchants made and sold grindstones along the shores of Baie des Chaleurs from the late 1700s until the 1930s (PANB photograph P93/G32)

The legendary Amos “King” Seaman was the big man in the grindstone business in those first days. His main quarry was at Lower Cove, three miles north of Joggins. My grandfather, Joseph Read, joined his father in the early years of the 19th Century, and by 1824 they had a “stoneyard” and sales office in Boston. In 1829, grandfather married King Seaman’s sister Abigail which brought the two grindstone families together and they operated under the name of “Read and Seaman” for some time. Grandfather also bought a home in Boston so that each of his fourteen children could be educated in that city’s schools and colleges.

Grandfather also bought a home in New York. Earlier, these children received their schooling from a teacher employed by the Reads to live with them to teach the children how to “read and write and figure”. Stones were picked up by schooner along the shores of the Bay of Fundy from the local people who made them and were taken to Boston for distribution.

This trade soon became world wide because the Clipper ships went everywhere. During the first quarter of the 19th century, there were two big names in the grindstone business in Canada — King Seaman was the first and my grandfather Read became the second. For the next one hundred years, the Reads were the dominant people in this small industry. In 1860, my grandfather bought the grindstone property at Stonehaven, New Brunswick, which was opened in 1830 and sold by the founders, who were Boston people, Sprague, Soule and Company. This operation, located on the Baie de Chaleur, was the most important quarry in the Industry’s final one hundred years. It was closed in 1930. The basic reason for closing was the fact that the quarry was worked out, although a secondary reason was the decline in the demand for natural grindstones by industry.

Stonehaven was not the only Read quarry. The Reads dug holes all over the Maritime Provinces and at one time operated more than 40 quarries with varying degrees of success. In the earlier years, the Reads were both producers and dealers in grindstones. They bought from farmers and others who made good grindstones as a sideline and from operators of small quarries and shipped the stones along with their own. These stones, you must remember, were all made by hand, using picks and hand drills and mauls and stone chisels, all hand-forged, tempered and sharpened by the blacksmiths in the quarry. There was no machinery other than the block-and-tackle and perhaps a winch and a few horses for horsepower. The Bay of Fundy stones were quarried at low tide. If the blocks were large they were chained under a boat and were pulled to shore with the tide and were reduced in size and shaped at low tide, and kept re-floating ashore until finally the finished big grindstones could be brought ashore on rollers, one by one. From there they were loaded onto scows and from there onto off-shore schooners and taken to Boston.

The first on-shore quarry that could be worked all day regardless of the tide, was opened at Slack’s cove in Rockport, below Sackville, in 1827. This was accomplished by constructing coffer dams of timber and clay to enclose the areas to be quarried. The sea water was then pumped out of the dam and left the stone bare. From that day onward, quarries quickly supplanted the under water reefs that got the grindstone business in Nova Scotia off to a start. Stones were made at Lower Cove, Downey’s Cove, Ragged Reef, Sand River, Apple River. I think a few were made on the Windsor shore. Sites on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy included Wood Point, Rockport, Grindstone Island, Mary’s Point, Beaumont and Fox Creek.

Mrs. Esther Clark Wright, in her history of the Steeves family, says that making grindstones was their cash crop. That was in the 18th century. Around 1804, there was a storekeeper in Moncton by the name of Harper. I think it was his grand-daughter who wrote a book “Moncton’s First Storekeeper”. In that book she tells how, when her grandfather paid his bills to the whole-salers, he paid them three quarters in grindstones and one quarter in cash.

This was before the lumber trade got going. Thus the grindstones at the head of the Bay of Fundy were the butter-and-egg business of the early settlers. Later on, power came to the grindstone industry – sometime in the seventies and eighties. By that time, there were Read Grindstone Mills at Stonehaven, N. B., Quarryville on the Miramichi, Wood Point near Sackville, N.B., and Lower Cove, near Joggins, Nova Scotia.

As I mentioned earlier, a grindstone is a piece of quarried sandstone, and you have to take it as you find it. Therefore, the grindstones that come from different locations have different qualities. One will do a certain kind of job while another will not, but will handle other jobs. You cannot change the rock in a quarry. For example, the stones that came from Wood Point were very coarse and could only be used for industrial purposes. They were not suitable for farmer’s use, but were excellent for hogging off metal, such as grinding plows and rough grinding of axes. But the stones from Stonehaven, I can say without bragging, were probably the best grade in the world for grinding a tempered-edge tool. That is why the Stonehaven quarry was able to survive longer than any of the others.

Then the railroads got going into the state of Ohio, where are located what are probably the world’s largest sandstone quarries for building stone. These quarries gradually got into the grind stone business and the Maritimes began to feel the competition. This would have been towards the end of the 19th century. By 1900, the only grindstone people operating in the Maritimes were the Reads at Stonehaven and on the Miramichi in New Brunswick and at Lower Cove, and Woodburn, near New Glasgow, in Nova Scotia. The Pictou County stone deserves some mention. It was a soft stone used (for example) for grinding spatulas, palette knives and stemware like the cutting side of a chisel where there were two kinds of steel welded together, and for pocket knives.

The Stonehaven stone was particularly valuable for grinding a tempered edge of steel. For example, we used to ship stones as far as west as Chicago for grinding machine knives and Indianapolis for thinning handsaws. As you know, a handsaw tapers. Oddly enough, we could sell stones to the Simonds Saw Company in Chicago and Pittsburgh, but not in Montreal. The Montreal factory was small and they had to use a softer stone that was more versatile. We had a very select list of customers for Stonehaven stone, which had a high silica content and was excellent for grinding edged tools.

The Collins Company took all of the production from Wood Point. They were the largest edged-tool manufacturers in the world I believe. They were noted particularly for their machetes, which had the name COLLINS stamped on the blade just below the ferrule and there was a saying in South America: “They stuck it into him to the COLLINS”. They established in the 1770s in Collinsville, near Hartford, Connecticut, and the plant closed in 1972 after 200 years of excellence. They shipped axes and machetes all over the world.

We shipped Stonehaven stone to people like Brown and Sharpe who made fine measuring tools. They claimed they could grind that flat steel to one hundred thousandth part of an inch on a Stonehaven grindstone! They had wonderful machines, beautifully made, for this purpose. All the scythe and axe manufacturers used our stone for abrasive purposes. Nicholson File and Stanley Rule and Level Co. (Stanley Tools) were excellent customers. You see, all of our markets were in the United States. We sold to all of the arms manufacturers – Winchester, Remington, Savage, Colt, Marlin, Smith & Wesson. Canadian manufacturers got their grindstones from Ohio which was nearer, or they weren’t large enough to take carload lots from us.

In the early days, all shipment was by water – it had to be. My grandfather, at one time, owned 51 schooners which took Read stones mainly to ports in the northeastern U.S. but also made many trips to South America and the Caribbean, then to England carrying rum, there being no return cargo to Canada. They would pick up return cargo of British woolens and such, for the last leg of the journey back to Nova Scotia.

When 19 years of age, my father was assigned by his eldest brother Bedford (who had become head of the firm on my grandfather’s death in 1866) to sail with one of the three-masted schooners as “Supercargo” – business agent and trader. This voyage took him to New England, Philadelphia, the Caribbean, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bristol and Liverpool, Queenstown (now Cobb) in Ireland, Halifax and home to Minudie.

After the railroad was built, more and more stones went by rail. We shipped small “RED CENTRE” grindstones right across Canada as far as Vancouver, throughout the prairies, into northern Ontario and Quebec, everywhere in the Maritimes.

However, the small grindstone, like the even smaller scythe stone, both for use on farms and in lumber camps, was merely a by-product of the manufacture of large grindstones. Most were made up to salvage a block that had faults that ruled it out for making one of the large stones.

There is no longer any market for natural grindstones. This has been supplanted by the bonded abrasive wheels made by Carborundum, Norton and others, which could make up any desired grit from a razor hone to a coarse stone for grinding wood pulp out of logs.

My son, Herbert C. Read, ran the business through the last war when there was still considerable market. There was a RED SADDLE (T.M. Reg.) mounted grindstone on every Corvette that came out of the shipyards of Vancouver and Victoria. There was also a good market for the regular grindstone and scythe stone because of the wartime demand for farm and forest products. While the Reads had gone out of production, the Read Stone Company Ltd. continued by contracting with Frank Hornybrook, a Stonehaven quarryman, for small grindstones and scythe stones. This continued, with a declining market, for several years. We still shipped one pool car a year to Vancouver and Winnipeg for customers like Marshall Wells, McLenan, McFeely & Prior, Fairbanks Morse, J.H. Ashdown Hardware Co. and Aukland’s Ltd. Bissett and Webb, Manufacturers Agents of Winnipeg, were our agents for the western half of Canada. We handled the eastern half of Canada from Sackville. In Ontario, we shipped to Cochrane Dunlop all over the province, Wood, Alexander & James in Hamilton, other wholesalers in Kingston, Ottawa, North Bay and Sudbury – all from the mining and lumbering areas. In the province of Quebec the big names in Montreal were Lewis Bros. (latterly F. Wragge) Caverhill Learmont, Pascal, A. Prud’homme, Frothingham Starke Seybold. In Sherbrooke, Mitchell, Codere; in Quebec/Levis: J.L. Demers, Chinic, L.H. Hebert, Terreau & Racine, Young, Wm. Doyle, Samson & Fillion, Jos. E. Lemieux and others in smaller centres throughout the province.

In the Maritimes: In Nova Scotia: Douglas Hardware and Dunlop Bros. in Amherst; A.M. Bell, Crowell Bros., Wm. Stairs, Son & Morrow in Halifax; T.P. Calkin in Kentville; Spinney in Yarmouth; Thompson and Sutherland in New Glasgow and others. Prince Edward Island had R.T. Holman, Brace McKay, Rogers Hardware and C.P. Moore. In New Brunswick: James S. Neill and E.M. Young in Fredericton, W.H. Thorne and Emmerson & Fisher in Saint John, Sumners in Moncton. Some of these names are no longer around.

Scythe stones were made thus: Slabs were sawn ¾″ thick by 10″ wide, approximately, by whatever length could be utilized from the materials available – some slabs or pieces came from the scrap pile when sawing ¾″ grindstone slabs. These went to the Scythe Stone Shed. They were split into 1-¼ × 10″ (approx.) pieces with what might be called an upside down froe that is still used in BC to split shingles from a bolt of cedar with one blow of a wood mallet. A sort of guillotine was devised that worked reasonably well but the froe and mallet were preferred by most workmen. Since the men worked on a piecework basis, they used the method that produced the most money for them. They were then ground on a six-foot convex turntable made of vertical timbers with Gang Saw blade ends driven into the timbers (saw blades were 4″ × 12′ × ⅛″ low-carbon soft steel). With running water and local sand, instead of steel shot for marble cutting, sandstone could be sawn at 1′/hr. Blades would last 45–50 hours. As with sawing grindstone slabs with the Gang Saw, water ran over the operation continually with the high silica, local sand being the abrasive. All of the scythe stone production was done in Stonehaven with stone from that quarry. There were many T.M. Reg. names: “Canada Red End”, the ones I have left (but since sold to Lee Valley Tools of Ottawa) and “Bay Chaleur”, “Eclipse”, “Blue Grit”, “Challenge”, “Bluenose”, “Acadian Whet Stone”, “Acadian Ragg” and “King of the Harvest”. In my time, the only scythe stones sold were the “Bay Chaleur” and the “Red End” and these were sold by the thousands all over Canada until the synthetically-bonded abrasives took over the market.

The last of the “Canada Red End” scythe stones were sold to Leonard Lee of Lee Valley Tools, Ottawa, in 1993 and 1994. I have about two dozen left!

Workers at the Read grindstone quarry in Stovehaven, Baie des Chaleurs (c. 1890s)

Editor’s note

In the mid-1980’s, Mr. Read dismantled the Grindstone Museum which he had put together in the “Carriage House” of the Marshlands Inn (the old family home — a Heritage Property) and donated all its contents to the town of Sackville. In January, 1999, these articles were passed on to the Tantramar Heritage Trust, including about 200 beautiful grindstones which likely originated from the Stonehaven quarry. I write this to assure our readers and the members the Read family that these articles will be well looked after and will be used to educate the public in Tantramar (especially if, or when, Tantramar can get its own museum) about the important role the grindstone industry has played in the history of this region.

Contributions solicited

Just like Mr. Read’s contribution in this issue, your newsletter can only succeed with your help. I will need your assistance for information, stories, interesting “did you knows” (to return in the next issue) and historical events that you may wish to present and/or debate. So please call me during the day at 506-364-5042 or at home at 506-536-0703 or write to me (or visit) at the following address:

—Peter Hicklin, c/o Canadian Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 6227, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6

ATTENTION: SOME DUES STILL DUE. For some of you (with your address label in italics on the envelope that this newsletter came in), membership dues for 1999 have not yet been received. So please send $10.00 to the Tantramar Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 6301, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6 or this will unfortunately be your last newsletter!

November, 1998

Editorial

My dear friends,

We begin a new year of prospecting for more fascinating history deep in the rich mine of Tantramar. Now before we grab our picks and shovels to begin our new excavations, I must issue a warning at the very beginning: make sure that you have lots of safe storage space because many large gems will be appearing before you and you will need lots of room to keep it all!!

My fellow prospector Donna Beal has been exploring a rich vein of historic Sackville commerce and, a few weeks ago, she called me to the archival history deposits at the Mount Allison Archives to show me our first gem of this year for this newsletter: a photo along with the story of the old Richardson Store in Sackville. You know, that’s the old abandonned building that has been languishing behind the Sackville Information Center beside the fork in the road where Main Street branches into Salem St. As the photo shows, the Richardson store itself used the be in the very center of the fork in the road!

And our second little gem is silver! Yes, we are indeed mining precious minerals and fellow prospector Harold Black extracted the story of the silver spoons which were instrumental in the founding of Mount Allison University in Sackville. I was first made aware of this fascinating little yarn many years ago; I don’t doubt its truth since I believe that much of our history is peppered with such incidents which are often lost to the history books. So read carefully; someday, who you invite for dinner might change the course of history!

Now dear friends, this month is an anniversary, of sorts, for this region. It was 130 years ago that S.M. Saxby predicted that the high tide of 5 October, 1869, would bring about an atmospheric disturbance that became well known in this region as The Saxby Gale. And so in this issue of The White Fence, are some newspaper stories of the day which described the event. So get your umbrella when you get to that section…

In this issue is an article written by an unknown citizen of Tantramar. While going through some old family papers Mr. Bill Black came across an article which had been written by a family member, Mr. Harold Garnet Black, whom he could not remember. So H.G. Black’s article about Mount Allison’s silver spoons was passed on to us and with little editing, is included in this issue. However, a postscript had to be added for clarification. Your editor would love to hear from any readers who may know something about Mr. Harold Garnet Black, presumably from Sackville.

You will note in this, our first White Fence discussions of winter ’98/’99, that the format of the newsletter has changed considerably. We can now write on larger paper and used both sides so that we can include all we want to tell you without any increase in our mailing cost! For this, we thank Leslie van Patter for her interest and professional talents for making this possible. From all of us: thanks Leslie!

So now, get your light, put on your galoshes and grab your pick and shovel because a new history-mining season is about to begin! And as always, enjoy!

—Peter Hicklin

Did you know?

Did you know that the name Sackville was chosen in honour of Lord George Sackville (1716–1785), commander of the British Forces? And did you know that this name for the township of Sackville was officially adopted at a meeting held on 20 July 1762 at an Inn located near Fort Cumberland (now Fort Beausejour) and owned by Mrs. Charity Bishop?

Furthermore, at this meeting, did you know that the first steps were taken towards municipal government for the soon to be established Township of Sackville which was formally established in 1763 and comprised of 100,000 acres?

Did you know that the Town of Sackville (proper) was incorporated on Monday, February 12, 1903? And on that date Senator Josiah Wood was selected for the office of Mayor and the first Town Council consisted of Mayor Wood and the following eight aldermen: Fred Ryan, Albert Wry, Thomas Anderson, Thomas Estabrooks, John Johnson, Amasa Dixon and S.W. Copp.

And did you know, that the Intercolonial Railway was extended to Sackville from Dorchester and opened on December 13, 1869, and extended to Amherst, Nova Scotia, one year later opening on December 29, 1870 ?

The Richardson Store

Newcomers to the town of Sackville and those visiting the Information Center on Main Street may wonder at the location and unusual design of the two buildings situated at the far side of the Mount Allison Parking lot.

Richardson Store Advertisement

Most residents know something of the history of the attractively-decorated octogonal building which is now the Tourist Information Center and Gift Shop. Before August 1987, it was a residence on Bulmer Lane and was quite often referred to as the “Anderson House” for the seafaring family that owned it for almost half a century. But the history of the negected structure next to it, as though patiently waiting for someone to give it some purpose, is the subject of this sketch.

The Richardson Store, which stood for over 60 years at the corner of College Street (Salem Street) and Main Street, originated in a square one-storey building constructed by Cyrus Black. The business was established in November 1876 by Charles W. Richardson who did much of his trade with the Academy students housed in the residence across the street (Palmer Hall) and the students housed in The Lodge (the first university building built in 1862, where the old Pathology building — and now university computer department — is located), just a short distance from the store.

The F.C. Richardson store (built in 1901), at the corner of College Street (Salem Street) and East Main Street in a 1920 print of an original photo obtained from the Mount Allison University Archives.

In 1892, C.W. Richardson’s son, Frederick Charles, took over the business. In 1901, two years after the death of his father, F. C. Richardson erected a new two-storey building with a thirty-foot frontage. It extended back 70 feet on one side with an abrupt angle on the other side to fit on the pie-shaped lot. The front of the store exhibited two large plate glass windows shaded by roll-up canvas awnings. The old store building, connected to the west side of the new store, was used for storage.

In the Sackville Tribune of December 18, 1902, the business boasted an excellent frost-proof cellar offering the best facility for keeping apples, of which Mr. Richardson handled 500 barrels that year. The store’s chief lines were groceries, confectionery, fruit, crockery and china-ware, flour, and animal-feed.

With the growth of the university on one side and the expansion of the Fawcett Foundry on the other, F.C. Richardson’s store prospered until his death in 1930.

A selected portion of a 1914 map of the town of Sackville showing the location of the Richardson store between Salem Street and Main Street

In 1941, the Richardson Store property was sold to Mount Allison University which extended the university property to College Lane and Main Street, a much more well-defined boundary. The store was purchased by Enamel and Heating Products Ltd. for $350.00 plus the additional cost for moving it off the property. It was moved across the street to the foundry property and situated behind the Enamel Shop. The roof was repaired and new shelving units installed thus making the building more suitable for storing the foundry’s surplus and non-current stove patterns. For 45 years, the “store turned storage shed” was hidden behind the foundry buildings and forgotten by those who knew of its former glory. In 1986, when the Enamel and Heating Products Ltd. buildings were demolished and the “Richardson Store”, by now in a delapidated state but still recognizable, was again exposed for all to see. The old store stood forlorn while the former foundry property, now owned by the university, was cleared of debris and made into a parking lot.

The following year, the octogonal house was moved from Bulmer Lane to stand alongside the old store. Now was it a coincidence that these two unlikely buildings should come together like this? The uniting of two distant relatives?

Although the name Anderson has always been attached to the octagonal house, there are those who still remember it as the Richardson House because Horatio Richardson purchased the house from the Andersons in 1901 and the family lived there until after the death of Horatio in 1939. Furthermore, it wasn’t surprising to discover that Charles W. Richardson of the Richardson Store and Horatio N. Richardson of the octagonal house, were first cousins*.

*conversations with Mary (Richardson) Maynes, Moncton, N.B.

—Donna Beal

References

The Tribune, Sackville, December 18, 1902. Mount Allison University, R. P. Bell Library.

The Argosy. C.W. and F.C. Richardson Store advertisements, Mount Allison University Archives.

The Yorkshire Antecedents and American Descendants of the William H.A. Richardson Family of Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada and Reading, Massachusetts compiled by Louise Ryder Young. 1984. Mount Allison University, R.P. Bell Library.

Richardson Store Advertisement

The Saxby Gale

If you attended the presentation by Mr. Alan Ruffman on 21 October, you heard all the interesting technical details about a dramatic event in the history of Tantramar. And now, read on about how the press of the day viewed this great storm.

In 1868, S.M. Saxby of the British Navy predicted an exceptionally high tide for 7:00 a.m., October 5th, 1869, that would cause a “marked atmospheric disturbance” around the world. The prediction was printed in the London Standard and widely circulated. The appointed day saw little damage along Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Coast, but contemporary press reports show Saxby’s prophesy sadly accurate for the Bay of Fundy:

From Windsor: About 11:00 o’clock Monday night four dykes at Poverty Point, near Smith Island, gave way and ten minutes afterwards the lowlands for miles around were flooded, and their contents much damaged. The inmates were compelled to take refuge in the upper stories. Many cattle and sheep were drowned. Mr. P. Miles lost 34 sheep. The tide rose four feet higher than it was ever known before ! At Falmouth and Newport the dykes were carried away, and the land flooded. At Horton, and upon the Grand Pre dykes, a quantity of hay was destroyed and numbers of cattle drowned, some of which drifted out to sea. Bridges were carried away or destroyed !

—Halifax Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1869

From Cumberland: The tremendous tide swept over the whole of the marshes of Cumberland and Westmorland ! When it was considered that almost every farmer adjacent to a tract of (dyked) marsh depends upon it for the principal part of his hay, and that this, after being cut, remains for the most part on the ground in stacks, or in exceptional cases in barns, to be hauled in the winter, the great extent of the losses may be more nearly approximated. But the loss of hay now, great as it is, embraces but a small portion of the damages to the proprietors of (dyked) marshes. The expense of repairing, and in many cases renewing miles of heavy dykes; and the injurious effects upon future grass crops for years, through the action of the tide, to swell up the account of losses ! At half past 10 o’clock on Monday night the dykes overflowed. The water having gradually accumulated on the marshes to the depth of from one to two feet, a wave, similar to the tidal bore, swept up with a rearing noise and a great velocity, carrying almost everything before it; stocks of hay, fences and in many cases, well-filled barns succum bing to its power. Four men who went to Fort Lawrence to secure a schooner sought shelter from the wind in a barn. The tide rising, they abandoned the barn and took to a fence which extended from it to the upland, and by passing along which they hoped to be safe. The waves swept away the fence. Two of the men managed to reach some poles and save themselves. The others were drowned. An old man named Steward, belonging to Minudie, engaged in cutting grass at Minudie Point, was in the habit of spending his nights in a barn there. On the Terrific night, finding the barn afloat and breaking up, he succeeded in clinging to a passing haystack. After being for some time at the mercy of the wind and the tide, hope almost failed as he was being fast borne seaward, when his life-buoy grounded on the top of the dyke, seemingly at the very brink of destruction. He was rescued by means of a boat on the following day. A horse which was in the barn was drowned.

—Amherst Gazette, Oct. 18, 1869

From Windsor: Ten days after the Gale: The floods have abated. On Tuesday the last field was left dry, and now nothing but a barren scene meets the eye in every direction. The beautiful green afterfeed of the dykes is turned into a muddy brown marsh, which produces an unhealthy dismal fog and a sickening smell; fences are lying strewn in every direction; haystacks are racked and ruined, and occasionally the carcass of a dead animal is seen bleaching in the sun. A meeting of dyke-holders voted to repair the Tragothic or Big Dyke. The Town Dyke at Avondale will not be repaired, as the rates are so high that it will not pay them for their trouble. It seemed to be resting on quicksand and was constantly settling. In 1860 it was decided to abandon the structure and build a new one about two hundred yards up the river. Two years were taken to finish the work, and in the meantime, the old aboiteau was kept in repair, which gave much better facilities for working at the new one. When the Eastern Extension Railroad was constructed (1872), a right-of-way was secured by the company over the new aboiteau, and later when the road came into the hands of the Dominion Government, an arrangement was made with the commissioners of the aboiteau for maintaining the work !

*Note: Name of newspaper not given

The arrangement with the railroad has continued into the 1980s. The tracks along the top of the dyke, which protect 820 hectares of farmland as well as a stretch of the Trans-Canada highway just inside it, between Amherst, N.S. and Sackville, New Brunswick.

“The Saxby Gale” in: Maritime Dykelands: the 350-year Struggle. The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing. 1987. Halifax, Nova Scotia. 81 pp.

Mount Allison’s Silver Spoons

Spoons Instrumental in Founding of University

By Harold Garnet Black* (no date given)

Though few people are aware of it, the founding of Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., actually hung upon a few silver spoons, according to Rev. Charles H. Johnson DD., former archivist of the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada.

On a farm at Limavady, about 15 miles east of Londonderry, Ireland, in the late 1700’s, lived Joseph Allison, a Presbyterian (at least nominally). A friend of Joseph’s, it seems, had given his wife a dozen silver spoons. One day, when the land agent came around to collect the annual rent from the farmers in that area, he collected it from Joseph’s two neighbours but not from Joseph himself because he was not at home at the time. Upon his return, however, Mr. Allison learned from his neighbour that their rent remained the same as in the previous year, and he therefore assumed that his would likewise remain unchanged.

When the agent returned the next day, Mrs. Allison invited him to dinner so that after dinner the rent business could be attended to and the proper papers made out. Unfortunately for the visitor’s sake, Mrs. Allison had set the table with the new silver spoons. When the men sat down later to prepare the necessary papers, the land agent told Mr. Allison that his rent would have to be raised.

As might be expected, the latter stoutly protested against any such increase, explaining that his neighbour’s rent had not been raised. To this argument the agent calmly replied: “Anyone who can afford silver on his table can afford to pay more rent!” Instantly, the incensed Joseph Allison picked up the papers and tore them into shreds, declaring with some vehemence: “I’ll emigrate before I’ll pay more rent!”

And go he did, for his were no idle words. Soon thereafter, he and his family packed up and started for Philadelphia. But the ship on which they sailed was wrecked off treacherous Sable Island and luckily, the passengers and the crew (and the silver spoons) safely landed and were later taken to Nova Scotia.

Remembering that another Limavady man was a Presbyterian minister at Grand Pre, Joseph Allison took himself thither and afterwards bought a farm on the Gaspereaux where the river was bridged for the first time by a sunken bridge on the main road between Annapolis Valley and Windsor.

Joseph Allison’s oldest daughter married Colonel Jonathan Crane, whose brother William built the well-known “Crane House” opposite the Methodist Church in Sackville. A son of Joseph married an Anglican lady from Canard, Nova Scotia, and settled there. Their son Charles Frederick Allison who left school at fourteen and, after clerking with relatives for some years at Grand Pre and Parrsboro, finally located in Sackville where he afterwards became William Crane’s partner and successor.

As all Allisonians know, it was this Charles F. Allison who founded the Mount Allison Academy which began its educational work on January 19, 1843, and who, a decade later, was also instrumental in establishing “an academy for ladies.” He died in 1858 and so did not see the realization of his dreams of a university for the creation of which he had made provision in his will, and whose first class ( two graduates: Howard Sprague and Josiah Wood) was graduated in 1863. It is worth noting that Mount Allison University was the first in Canada to give a Bachelor of Arts degree to a woman in 1875.

Who would ever imagine that the founding of Mount Allison University rested on so slight a thing as the gift of a dozen silver spoons. But such did fate decree! The spoons says Dr. Johnson, are now in the possession of Mrs. Erroll Mitchell of Halifax. The writer opines that it would be a most happy ending to the story if some day this historic silverware in a handsome case could grace some suitable spot in the present institution.

Postscript

Again, as most Allisonians are now aware, five of these same silver spoons were presented to the University by Chancellor Ralph Pickard Bell on Founder’s day, 1961, and are on exhibit for all to see on the first floor, by the stairs, in Mount Allison’s Ralph Pickard Bell Library. Two spoons were presented to the University by Ernest Allison Bell, two by Mr. Ennol Allison Mitchell and one is “on loan” from Allison Hope Strachan. And the story Mr. Black wanted all to know about is available at the library (pamphlet: The Case of the Silver Spoons), just by the spoons display.

Yes, like the story of The Saxby Gale, it’s a story that has been told before, but certainly one that local historians never tire of! Thank you Mr. Black, wherever you may be!

And Mr. Read and Mrs. Henderson: your contributions will appear in the Christmas edition of The White Fence.

PLEASE NOTE

Membership dues for 1999 are now due. Please send $10.00 to Tantramar Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 6301, Sackville, E4L 1G6.

The next meeting of the Tantramar Historical Society is set for Wednesday, November 25th. Watch the Tribune Post for details about our next topic.

Your friendly (but harried) editor,

—Pete

Notice Board

Tantramar Historical Society

The Tantramar Historical Society is hard at work developing ideas for upcoming society meetings. Following is a list of topics currently under consideration (be sure to write us if you have any other suggestions).

Meetings of the society are very popular and well attended,with thanks due to the many members of the Trust who have shared their time and knowledge of the area’s history. If you are interested in taking part in a society meeting by leading a discussion, making a presentation on a specific topi, or providing information on a topic of your interest, please let us know. We are constantly on the look-out for speakers, and we welcome your input and ideas!

• Acadian settlements
• Native settlements
• Eddy Rebellion/Battle for Beausejour
• Economics of the Marsh Hay
• Coming of the Railway
• Women’s Organizations, Women’s Institute
• Prohibition
• Votes for women, education for women
• Medical Care – Cottage Hospital to Regional Hospital
• Street Scenes, Then and Now
• Methodism
• Postal Services/Communications
• Senator Wood
• Magee
• Bennett Family
• Copp
• Industry in the Tantramar Area
• Growing up in the 20s, 30s, etc.
• Sports
• Schools and Schooling
• Newspapers of the Border Area
• Language (Vocabulary, Intonation, Usage)
• Marine Hospital
• Shipbuilding
• Yorkshire Connection
• Craft as Art – Quilts, Harnesses, Tools
• Family Trees

Projects Committee

Registering of the artifacts from the Campbell Carriage Factory is progressing. More than 5,000 artifacts have been tagged and removed from the factory and stores, but registering will continue until the end of November. Renovations to the building will begin in the spring.

Fundraising Committee

A major fundraising campaign will begin shortly for the Campbell Carriage Factory renovations. Watch your mail for information and let us know if you can help with the campaign in any way.

Publications Committee

We are developing a calendar to be sold during the Christmas season and afterward, which highlights some of the artifacts which have been discovered in the Campbell Carriage Factory. Be sure to get some for you and yours, and help us to raise funds for the factory renovations. They will be available at local stores, at the next Historical Society meeting on November 25th, and by contacting the Trust.

May, 1998

Editorial

Dear friends,

So far, my main experience with the Heritage Trust and this newsletter has been, and still is, one of discovery. Now, many things can be “discovered” in the course of one’s life but at this point, my latest discovery is really about myself. And particularly my own role in this process of heritage preservation. I am not writing to you as a creative writer, an editor or an historian; my friends, what I discovered is that, what I really am… is a prospector! I find that with every dig in this Tantramar mine, I keep meeting new miners and, with them, discovering more and more gold!!

Now the latest miner I met up with is Donna Beal, who works in a very deep and rich section of the mine known as the Mount Allison University archives. Oh! my friends, the gold and jewels that Donna is bringing to the surface are quite rich! First of all, I have to backtrack through historical corridors and set the stage for this latest gem that Donna brought up and which I must tell you something about.

When I first came to Sackville in 1969, I recall turning into the Sackville exit lane off the highway and having my first glimse of the “outskirts” of the town. There was the attractive Smith house with a small white bungalow beside it and, to the right of the bungalow, an old grey house which had clearly stood there for longer than it had originally planned. And to my surprise I was told that Mt. A students lived there. Honestly, it really did not appear to me to be in good enough shape for anyone to live in! But this house always got my attention because of an attractive semi-circular hall window on the second floor. It clearly had been an attractive and very respectable house “in its day”.

Now, those three buildings which first welcomed me to Sackville have been replaced by a highway exit, Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s. You know, where the old white fence was… I would not feel as welcomed to Sackville today as I was back then by those three older buildings I saw, for the first time, on the edge of town. And the house with the semi-circular window, demolished in 1988, is the ruby Donna presented me with to show you and tell you about. Reading about it and seeing the attractive picture of it that Donna obtained from Mr. James A. Wilson from Seattle, Washington state, U.S.A. (a distant relative of the original Sackville Wilsons), made me aware of how shiny gold really was! Boy, that white fence was indeed a rich little gold mine!

And on top of that, I received a history of the Read Grindstone dynasty from Mr. Herbert Read, as dictated by his father to Dr. George Stanley in 1971. Parts of this treasure are in this issue for you to read (but see my note on the last page! I ran out of time…).

And then, Colin MacKinnon treated me with a history of the Thomas Lowe Mill in Fairfield which I had never heard of! Oh! dear friends, I must stop now because I think that all this gold is starting to hurt my eyes! So let’s dig deeper into this mine we call Tantramar and, together, as miners and prospectors, we can only discover more and get richer and richer!!

So hang on…

—Peter Hicklin

Did you know?

Did you know that in the obituary of Hector MacKinnon in the Sackville Tribune-Post of 11 January, 1910, it stated that he was “buried in the Old French Cemetary, Westcock” (now think about that for a minute…).

The Wilson Farm

by Donna Beal

In the first issue of The White Fence, Al Smith mentioned the 1-½ storey white house just beyond the end of the fence which belonged to a Mount Allison art professor. The building of Prof. Ralston’s house in the early 1950’s stands out in my childhood memories; probably because not many new homes were being built at that time and my father, with the help of my brother Ricky, installed in it one of the new perimeter oil-fired heating systems. In 1956, Hallet Beal and his sons built a bungalow two doors down. Both houses were moved to other locations before construction began for Tim Horton’s and Wendy’s and the new exit ramp to the highway. But the subject of this account is about the old 1 1/2 story house that stood between the Ralston and Beal homes. I remember it as a two-family dwelling, covered with grey brick siding and showing its years.

At that time it was owned by Jennie (Murray) Estabrooks who lived in one side of it and rented the other half. Before it was demolished in 1988, I discovered that there were bricks inside the interior walls and the front step was a large millstone (see photo). At the time I thought it must have been an old house, but it wasn’t until recently that I learned how old. I also learned some other interesting facts about the house and the people who lived in it and about the nearby field where there was once a White Fence.

The house, known in the last century as the “Wilson Farm”, was built around 1800 by Colonel [1] Richard Wilson, and further along the road, possibly on the site of the White Fence, was the Wilson store [2]. Before settling in this area, Col. Richard Wilson, a native of Ireland [3], had a colourful military career. During the French Wars (1756 – 1763) he was in the 22nd Regiment [4], accompanied Wolfe at the taking of Louisburg and Quebec, and was with Earl of Albemarie at the taking of Havana [5]. He settled in North Carolina, marrying in 1767 the daughter of a wealthy planter who gave them 300 acres of land. They had four children but they all died. When trouble broke out in 1771, he joined General Tryon, then in command of British forces in America, and in 1773 was was made Lieutenant in command of Fort Johnson in North Carolina. At the beginning of the American Revolution (1775), a year before his wife died, he received orders to dismantle the Fort. In a raid on the Fort, he lost his home by fire. He was then commissioned as a Lieutenent in Lt. Col. Gorham’s Royal Fencible Americans for the defence of the Maritime Provinces. Gorham had his headquarters at Fort Cumberland when it was attacked by the Americans. Wilson had by now been promoted to Captain and was probably in command at Fort Cumberland for periods of time when Gorham was in Halifax. By the time the Regiment was disbanded at the end of the revolution (1783), Wilson had lost his land holdings in North Carolina [6]. In 1788 he made application for lots in the Township of Sackville, but it wasn’t until 1797 that he was granted seven lots in sub-division Letter B. By then he had married Ann Harper, daughter of Christopher Harper, and had two sons, Harper and Richard. He acquired in 1790, by deed or transfer, 1 1/2 lots from Amasa Killam, an original grantee [7].

Col. Wilson was appointed Lt. Col. of the Westmorland County Regiment of Militia consisting of two battalions. Some members of the Militia whose names bear some historical significance were William Crane, Gideon Palmer, Bedford Boultenhouse, James Estabrooks, Richard Bowser and George Bulmer [8]. Family legend says that “Col. Wilson trained militia down in the field back of his house… and there are buried arms and ammunition down there somewhere.” [9] The field next to the location of the White Fence was known as the Muster Field. The following historical account was in the Sackville Tribune February 5, 1917 (original spelling):

In connection with this property it is interesting to note a gathering of the olden days which has completely passed into oblivion. This was the General Muster, which was held on the Richard Wilson farm. The Muster marked a gala day when everybody from far and near gathered to watch the military perform their manouvers. Several cannon were fomerly situated on this spot and here the families, great and little, gathered around, spread their lunches on the grass and watched the grand officers in their resplendent uniforms, mounted on prancing steeds, and the soldiers going through their drill. The fences were lined with humanity of all classes and grades and of both sexes while the military wheeled and marched and counter marched to the great delight of all assembled. Among the names prominent in the early Musters, Mr. Ford recalls the late Edwin Botsford, Richard Wilson, Henry Ogden and Mr. Chapman.

Col. Wilson died in 1810 at 70 years of age. His wife died in 1825. They are buried in the Methodist Burying Ground, Middle Sackville. Their names also appear on a large Wilson Family tombstone in the Sackville Rural Cemetary [10]. Their son lived in the home place, while his brother Harper built across the road from him [11]. Richard died in 1887 at 93 years of age, and his wife Sarah (Ayer) died in 1895 at 80 years of age [12].

Notes

1. Richard Wilson’s highest rank while in active military service was Captain, but when he was placed in charge of the Westmorland County Militia his title was Colonel Commandant. With the abolition of the militia rank of Colonel in 1808, Wilson reverted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1809, and until his death, his rank was Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant 1 Westmorland, but it is as “Colonel” that he has been remembered by (The New Brunswick Militia Commissioned Officers List, by David R. Facey-Crouther, 1984).
2. Sackville Tribune February 5, 1917, and The Walling Map 1862, Mount Allison University Archives (MAA).
3. Richard Wilson’s military record states that he was a native of Ireland while the Wilson family tombstone inscription states that he was a native of Scotland.
4. Richard Wilson biog. Webster Manuscript Collection, File 110 (MAA).
5. Obituary for Richard Wilson. Vital Statistics from N.B. Newspapers, vol. 1, 1982.
6. Webster Manuscript Collection, File 110 (MAA).
7. Milner, W.C. The History of Sackville New Brunswick, 1934.
8. Webster Manuscript Collection, File 110 (MAA).
9. Correspondence with James Wilson, a descendent of Richard Wilson. See Genealogy Index (MAA).
10. Ayer, Douglas. Westmorland County New Brunswick Cemetary Inscriptions. 1968.
11. Milner, W.C. The History of Sackville New Brunswick. 1934.
12. Westmorland County Cemetary Inscriptions compiled by V. Bing Geldart. April 1992 (MAA).

January, 1998

The Thomas Lowe Mill

by Colin MacKinnon

I first heard of the Lowe Mill as a young boy and my earliest memories of trout fishing were on the Mill Brook with dad. In later years, the Boy Scouts of Canada built a camp on the site of the “Lowe homestead” (the camp has been moved and converted to a house on the Lower Fairfield Road) and at that time the remains of an earthen dam, wooden timbers and a shallow basement were clearly visible. It was not until I was much older that I found out how the brook got its name and pieces of this story started to unfold.

Thomas Lowe (born around 1821) possibly came to Canada after 1851 and bought land on what is now known as the Mill Brook. Anthony Lowe married Elizabeth Atkinson of Sackville and Elizabeth’s father had purchased at an auction much of the lands belonging to his father-in-law Amasa Killam. Killam had been involved in the Eddy Rebellion of 1776 when his lands were confiscated. The significance of this is that the Lowe Mill may have been built on land previously owned by Killam although I am not aware if Anthony Lowe and Thomas Lowe were related. Also, in the 1851 census, three “Lowes” lived with Henry Shipley and their relationship with Thomas Lowe is unknown.

The “Tom Lowe Mill Brook” (locally called the “Mill Brook”) crosses the Upper Fairfield Road (King Street) 4.5 km from East Main Street in Sackville. Downstream and prior to reaching the Lower Fairfield Road, the “Mill Brook” joins the “Doherty Brook”. And from there, this stream becomes “Carters Brook” and eventually finds its way to the Frosty Hollow Creek and Cumberland Basin.

In the 1861 census, Thomas Lowe is listed as a Boot and Shoemaker and a Millman. He was married to Levinia (last name not known; born ca. 1824) and at that time had four children living at home while one child was married the previous year. Thomas and Lavinia Lowe’s children were: Jane (born ca. 1847), Ann (ca. 1849), Othelia (ca.1852) and Ella (ca.1859).

In this census, Thomas was listed as owning 120 acres (10 acres “improved”) and his farm and Mill were valued at $1,200. He had one milk cow, seven sheep and had slaughtered $100 worth of pork that year. Also, that year he had made $100 making and selling boots and shoes and $120 in “wooden ware” (not cabinets). By 1881, the Lowe family disappeared from the census records: gone but not forgotten!

Information about the “Tom Lowe Mill Pond” can be gleaned from the writings of Frank W. Wry. Frank was born ca. 1877, the seventh child of William and Arabel Wry. Frank’s boyhood years were spent in the Fairfield area and his parents lived where I grew up at 176 King Street. Late in life, Frank Wry wrote a number of short stories (unpublished) about his early experiences and one of these, titled “The Tom Lowe Mill Pond”, goes as follows:

The Tom Lowe Mill Pond

Tom Lowe came to Canada around 1850. He bought land along the banks of Indian Brook [1]. It was a picturesque, prosperous brook of fast rushing water. Dry weather did not seem to affect its flow. It was always the same. It had originally been the site of a Micmac Indian village.

Tom Lowe was apparently a well-to-do Englishman, and had all the appearance of one. He dressed well; hired others to do the clearing of land, planting of corn, etc. He took great pleasure in riding a fine horse or buggy-riding with Mrs. Lowe to the village store. To see him sitting up in the driver’s seat, with derby hat, long supple whip and driving two lively horses was a grand sight. As a small boy standing bare-footed at the side of the road, I would stare at this marvelous display.

This was the ideal spot for a settler of wealth. Indian Brook, with its deep, wide flow of water and plenty of rainbow trout, attracted many forest animals. Deer, moose and bear coming to its banks, provided an ideal hunting ground. The steep banks offered an ideal opportunity for a saw or grist mill, which was needed. Mr. Lowe built a dam across this brook, backing up a large body of water, which became known as “Tom Lowe’s Mill Pond”. The regular sluice-way was for the over-flow water, which rushed through these outlets, to drop some twenty or more feet to the revolving flat surfaces of wheels. These spun around with great force. The power from these paddle wheels was used to saw logs into timber and boards. Wheat, buck-wheat and other grains were crushed and ground for the settlers. Payment in those days for wheat grinding was simple. The settler would take ten to twenty bags of grain to the mill, and for every bag the mill ground they took a share.; perhaps one bag for three. The arrangement was quite satisfactory.

Mr. Lowe built a fine house with a large living room. It contained a fireplace, with pullout drawers from the face of the stone surface; the fire was laid in the centre. In this way, the drawers were surrounded and proved to be excellent ovens. They could be used for baking or keeping the food warm. The interior of the house was well furnished with home-made furnishings of the day. The house also had a wine cellar. On the property was a large barn for cows, poultry, etc. A lawn, garden and meadow surrounded the house.

The spill-way from the sluices was so arranged as to form a passageway close-up under the dam. There was no trouble in walking through this passage. One did not even get wet. The bulk of the water was carried ten feet beyond the dam wall surface before falling on the paddle wheels. This was a big conundrum to people. Heavy gates prevented one from going through this passage to investigate. The twenty-foot drop of water below the sluice-way formed a deep, large pool of water. It would have been a great place to catch fish, but we were never allowed to fish there.

Mr. Lowe was reserved, almost to the point of causing one to feel he thought himself better than the other settlers. This was resented. Other than the usual business conversations with people, he had no particular friend. There would, however, be occasional visitors to his home. They were a lot like Mr. Lowe and not too friendly either.

Mr. Lowe travelled frequently. About twice a year he was away for longer periods than usual; people said to the United States or Europe. In his absence, Mrs. Lowe and Mr. Lowe’s father looked after the place. They were even more inclined to shun people. They were distant with the help around the place and Mr. Lowe Sr. was seldom seen. Some said that he was an artist or a writer.

About three miles from the Lowe home and mill was the old Copper Mine. From time to time it was in operation. This mine was tunnelled into the side of a sandy gravel hill. Several tunnels were used to get the copper out. And at about this time, minerals were being discovered by the settlers in small profitable quantities. Coal mines were opening up for domestic use – a great boom to the heating problem. Some gold and silver was found. Copper mines were paying good dividends, especially the Fairfield Copper Mine on the Upper Fairfield Road.

The immigrants from Europe were arriving in larger numbers. Adventurers of all kinds. At this time, counterfeit gold and silver coins started to make their appearance. Gold was the principal money used. One, five and twenty gold pieces were common, especially to the more prosperous. The less-fortunate had to be satisfied with silver coins. The counterfeit gold coins were found to be about 75% copper, washed or plated with gold. These were not only found locally but reports from the United States and Europe indicated that many of these could be found there as well. The source of these coins was suspected to be Canadian and investigations did show that the copper in them was the same as the Fairfield Copper Mine produced.

Then the Lowe family disappeared. Searchers found the source of the counterfeiting was the fine Lowe home! The tunnels and wine cellar contained all the necessary equipment for this large-scale, skilled operation. Consequently, the home was locked up by the Sheriff and remained for many years just as the owners had left it. In those days, vandals and burglars did not bother it. It was finally destroyed when a forest fire got out of control and burned it to the ground. The mill escaped. For several years, it was operated by private parties until the dam needed repairs. A big storm washed out part of the dam and spill-way, exposing the mystery of the well-guarded section of the dam. As young boys, we wandered around the mill and discovered that the locked gates opened into a passage-way under the dam and into a tunnel between the house and the dam! This tunnel provided for us a secret way to enter or depart without being seen!

A few years after the Lowes’ disappearance, a strange man came to the old house. The papers he showed the Sheriff stated that he was heir to the Lowe estate. He was an Englishman but living in the United States. He never spoke to anyone nor caused any trouble, but wandered up and down the Fairfield Road picking up copper-flecked stones and other pebbles. These he thrust into a drawstring canvas bag. At times he roamed along the Indian Brook also gathering stones. On rainy summer and winter days he sorted and re-sorted these stones which he guarded with great care. I, and other boys, watched this man several times by peeking through the window of the Lowe house and watched with amusement (not knowing the word “pity”).

We moved from this district to the town of Sackville when I was nine years old but I continued to visit this old site for many years. In 1956, Indian Brook nearly dried up as it was diverted into the water supply for the town [2]. I could still find indications of the old dam and the depression where the cellar of the old house had been.

This story is as I remember it. Perhaps some one with a flare for writing will improve on it some day.

Frank W. Wry

1. Possibly a name mix-up as the “Indian Brook” is closer to Sackville and the water source to the old George Hicks Mill and not the Tom Lowe Mill.
2. possibly another “slip” as the town water source is the “Fawcett” or “Ogden Mill” Brook and not the Mill Brook.

—Colin M. MacKinnon, Sackville, N.B., 15 January, 1997.

An Historical Note

from The Borderer: June 16, 1870 (page #2)

CAMBELL’S CARRIAGE FACTORY: This establishment is in Upper Sackville, in the vicinity of Morice’ Mills. A large building, 70 feet by 30 feet, contains on the ground floor, the workshop in the end fronting the road, the machine shop in the middle of the building, and in the rear end the horse power for driving the machinery. Upstairs are the store room, paint and varnishing rooms. The building and premises were purcahsed of Mr. John Beal who built and used it for several years as a tannery. There is also a commodious blacksmith shop on the premises. Four journeymen carriage makers and two blacksmiths are constantly employed; there are also three apprentices. The workshops are furnished with hand tools of every description. The horse-power is set in motion by one or more horses, according to the kind of work. Beside the circular jigsaw and lathes that it drives, are an emery belt for smoothing spokes, and a heavy grindstone for grinding the steel springs made in the blacksmith shop.

From 30 to 40 wheeled vehicles and about 20 sleighs and pungs are annually turned out in this establishment. A large amount of repairing is also done. The proprietor superintends the working operations himself, and manages the requisite business transactions. The nucleus of the establishment was begun by Mr. Campbell’s father, the late Ronald Campbell, and is over 20 years standing. Keeping pace with the growth of the country, we predict for it a long and prosperous carreer. Mr. Campbell is a justice of the peace.

Heritage Mystery

The house sketch below was forwarded to us by Sylvia Yeoman; I have left Sylvia’s comments on the sketch (dated 1902). The commentary on the bottom right of the sketch states:

The Old Church House Fort Lawrence, N.S.

So can anyone help us? The field behind the house clearly looks to me like the reclaimed “high marsh” between Sackville and Fort Lawrence. Does anyone know anything about this sketch? If you do, write to me at the address at the end of this newsletter.

Announcements

Campbell Carriage Factory Artifact Committee Meets

On 15 March, 1998, the members of the Artifact Committee met for the first time in the boardroom of the Canadian Wildlife Service. Seventeen members attended to learn about the task ahead. Project co-ordinator Al Smith showed slides of the interior of the factory and circulated photographs. Everyone got a good feel from the number and condition of the artifacts that must be “rescued”. Committee Chair Rhianna Edwards then explained, in some detail, the methodology which will be used to document and then store all the tools, wood components, etc., that are in the factory. Finally, everyone was given the opportunity to let Rhianna know which part of the project he/she is interested in participating in: photography, drawing, cleaning, bagging, records system development, etc.

Actual work in the factory will not begin until early June but a training session will be conducted before then. And those who expressed an interest in helping to develop the record-keeping system and forms will be starting soon. There is still a need for volunteers and anyone who would like to join this committee should contact Rhianna at 364-0011 or by e-mail at redwards@nbnet.nb.ca

Heritage Day Celebrations a Success!!

The Heritage Day Celebration held on 14 February, 1998, was very successful. Approximately 300 breakfasts were served in the morning, equalling the number served last year. Member Elaine Smith did a wonderful job of co-ordinating and supervising the meal and we don’t know what we would have done without her! From all of us: Thanks, Elaine!

For the second year, Peter Seitl of Seitl’s Antiques conducted our very own “Antiques Road Show”. In two hours he made 63 appraisals, and a crowd of about 100 watched the fun. Throughout the day, tickets were sold on a poster donated by Thaddeus Holownia and framed by member Rob Lyon. Phyllis Stopps was the lucky winner. The day ended in the afternoon with a session entitled Appreciating Tantramar’s Heritage Landscape. Three presentations were given that illustrated how each layer of human occupation has left its mark on the Tantramar landscape… and how Tantramar continues to leave its impression on those who live here. The speakers were Sandy Burnett (History in the Mind’s Eye), Paul Bogaard (Heritage Landscape Pilot Project) and Thaddeus Holownia (Through a Photographer’s Eye).

The Trust wishes to thank all the members and non-members who joined us that day and helped to make the celebration an enjoyable event.

PLEASE NOTE that the Trust’s ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be on 28 May at St. Paul’s Anglican Church at 7:30 p.m. And a final note: Mr. Read’s history of the Grindstone Industry will open next fall’s first newsletter (I just ran out of time Mr. Read…).

Peter Hicklin, 229 Main Street, Sackville, N.B. E4L 3A7

February, 1998

Editorial

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, I read with great interest the two volumes of For Love of Stone (Vol. I: The Story of New Brunswick’s Stone Industry and Vol. II: An Overview of Stone Buildings in New Brunswick) by Gwen Martin. And in this newsletter, I will summarize some of the more interesting facts which relate to Tantramar. But before I do, I must inform you of some great news.

Your editor and board of directors are thrilled to report that Renaissance Sackville has agreed to help fund the Tantramar Heritage Trust towards i) the development of a business plan and ii) the preparation of a brochure which would outline the Trust’s objectives and requirements for a museum. The executive of the Trust had earlier discussed the urgent need for such documents in order to chart a firm and unwavering direction for the Tantramar Heritage Trust and provide it a permanent home. And now we can begin to proceed, with Renaissance Sackville’s encouragement, to ensure the Trust with a long and productive future! From all of us (members and board of directors):

Thank you Renaissance Sackville!!

And for more great news but of a very different nature, I am pleased to inform you that last Wednesday (21 January), Ralph Estabrooks who was featured in our last newsletter, entered into his 89th year! Happy Birthday from all of us Ralph!

I must inform you as well that this newsletter is in for some very fundamental changes in the near future. I had much to tell you last time but when it came time to mailing, I had included one extra page (with print on both sides) which would have increased our mailing cost from 45¢ to 72¢ per issue! And all because of an extra 2 grams!! In fact, my summary of the quarrying industry (below) was supposed to be in that last newsletter! Because of this, you will notice that a few sections are “dated”.

So, your publications committee is working hard to come up with a design which can be mailed out without need for an envelope (but a few extra pages). Once this is done, your “white fence” will have an extra two pages and should get to you with a 45¢ stamp (+ HST!)! Yes, our fingers are crossed…

You will have noticed that tickets for the Heritage Day ’98 have been included in with this newsletter. Please sell as many as you can and join us at the Tantramar High School for a great breakfast on Heritage Day February 14. You know, we still have lots of stories to exchange by the ole’ fence…

—Peter Hicklin

The Love of Stone

The following is a quick summary of the two volumes about the stone quarrying industry in New Brunswick produced by the New Brunswick Mineral Resources Division of the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy. I focused on some of the more interesting facts related to quarries which were active in the Tantramar region.

Three sandstone quarries in this area and their most active periods were:

1. The Pickard Quarry: 1883–1940.
2. The Wood Point Quarry: 1870–1911.
3. The Rockport Quarry: 1815–1862 and 1870s–1912.

The Pickard Quarry (at the end of Quarry Lane off Salem and Pickard off York St.) was opened in 1883 to obtain stone for the construction of Centennial Hall at Mount Allison. The original proprietor, Charles Pickard, was a stone merchant and later mayor of Sackville. The quarry had 25 employees and produced 5,000 to 8,000 tons of stone annually. Buildings constructed out of stone from the Pickard quarry in Sackville are:

1. The original Royal Bank (some of the original pink stone remains at the left of the entrance).
2. The Bank of Montreal, Moncton.
3. The Royal Observatory, Ottawa.
4. The Bank of Nova Scotia, Truro.
5. Carnegie Library, Saint John.
6. Legislative Building, Toronto.
7. Customs House, Waterloo.
8. Customs House, Halifax.

Stone from the Pickard quarry was used in over one dozen buildings at Mount Allison. The quarry was finally closed in October, 1979, after stone was extracted to become part of the Roy Crabtree building.

Stone for the Canadian National Railway Station in Sackville was obtained from both the Rockport quarry and the Wood Point quarry. The building was made with pale olive sandstone from Rockport while the pale red stone used for quoins and trim was from Wood Point.

And furthermore, although most of the Rockport quarry’s output became grindstones, some became dimension stone used to build the Owen’s Art Gallery at Mount Allison.

Did you know?

Since I am writing this in the middle of the duck hunting season (November, 1997), did you know that lives were lost in the Sackville River (now theTantramar River) when men used to hunt in spring. In 1907, the Tribune Post reported the following remarkable (abbreviated) story (read carefully; the italics are mine):

April 15, 1907 “Frank Fillmore, son of Colpitts Fillmore, drowned on Thursday. Messrs. Murray Siddall, son of Geo. Siddall, and Frank Fillmore went on a gunning expedition. At five o’clock on Thursday at the mouth of the Sackville river their boat was hit by iceflows and upset and Fillmore sank at once while Siddall was able to get hold of the boat. The boat was partly filled with water and he was subsequently obliged to leave the boat and take refuge on an ice cake which drifted out with the tide. His shouts for help attracted attention but how to rescue him was the problem. The night was terribly dark on the river, which was filled with large cakes of floating ice, so that it was like taking one’s life in hand to attempt a resue, but scores of willing men, regardless of personal safety, put forth every effort. About 8:30 Siddall was heard passing Minudie. At once George Symes, Norman McLennan, Walter Allen and Danny Melanson followed. After fighting ice and tide until 10:30 they succeeded in rescuing him, and, being unable to bring their boat back, they carried the almost helpless man along the shore to the home of Benjamin Carter at Lower Maccan, where every attention was shown him. The scene is the same as where Richard Carter and Rev. Mr. Williams, the pastor of the Point de Bute Methodist Church, lost their lives in a similar manner a number of years ago.”

To think of undertaking such a rescue without vehicles and things as simple to us today as flashlights, is, in my opinion, a remarkable feat by the folks of Tantramar.

And in the same paper, did you know that to rent a house on Charlotte Street in 1907 cost the exhorbitant price of $3.50/month!

Did you know that in 1919 M.E. Goodwin founded Mel’s Tea Room? And did you know that it was relocated to the Cahill Block in 1927 and moved to its present location in 1944? And did you know that Sackville once had a Custom’s Office? The Port of Sackville Custom’s and Excise Office opened prior to 1868 and an office was maintained in Sackville until 1971.

And as I write this section (now late January ’98), the tragedy of Québec’s ice storm is still fresh in our minds and Al Smith provided interesting historical facts about electric power in this region:

Did you know, that electricity was first introduced to New Brunswick when Campbellton was connected in 1898? And did you know that electric power first came to Sackville in 1900 — two years before the cities of Moncton and Fredericton and five years before Saint John? Sackville’s first power company was the Sackville Electric Light and Telephone Company which was incorporated in 1889 for the dual purpose of providing telephone and electric service to the town. The company initially focused its attention at providing telephone service and Sackville was one of the first communities in New Brunswick to have this service. Electric power distribution began in 1900 with power supplied by gas generator. In 1907, a new company was formed to operate the town’s telephone sytem and in 1910 the old Sackville Electric Light and Telephone Company disposed of its assets to the newly-incorporated Eastern Electric and Development Company. That company continued to operate the town’s electrical distribution system until February 1, 1959, when the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission took over.

When the Eastern Electric and Development Company acquired the power system in 1910, power was being supplied by two generators: a 125kv generator powered by a 225 hp engine and a smaller 40kw unit powered by a 50 hp diesel engine. These generators were located in the building behind the present United Church Conference office on York Street. Service at that time was at 220 volts and 220 service continued for some time until it was gradually switched over to the more universal 110 volt service now used throughout North America. In 1927, a new transmission line was built between Amherst and Sackville and the local utility (then owned by Canada Electric Company) began buying power from the Maccan N.S. coal-fired power plant. With this new transmission line, the local generating equipment was retired.

When the NBEPC took over the town’s electrical supply system in 1959, they had to practically rebuild the entire distribution system over the next 10-15 years. The old transformer substation located on Wellington Street was relocated to the present site on King Street. The old Wellington Street site was on the marsh next to the present ball field and was almost completely underwater during the height of the April flood of 1962. A new transmission line now feeds the town’s King Street substation from the huge interprovincial grid station in Memramcook.

National Heritage Week

Breakfast

The day kicks off with a Community Breakfast served from 7:30 to 11:00 am in the school cafeteria with a menu of juice, eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast, tea and coffee. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children to 10 years. Tickets are available from members or at the door.

Tantramar Antiques Road Show — open to the public; free admission

The popular concept seen on CBC Newsworld and PBS returns to Sackville for a second year! From 10:00 am to noon at Tantramar High, Steve Ridlington will emcee a forum on appraising antiques brought by members of the audience. Peter Seitl of Seitl’s Antiques (Wentworth, N.S.) will help owners and the audience appreciate the heritage values of the “treasures and trinkets” that are presented. This is a chance for the public to check out those heirlooms in the attic they’ve always wondered about.

NOTE: As a small fundraiser for the Trust, a token $2.00 appraisal fee will be charged on each item. Up to 70 items will be appraised at the event. One item per individual will initially be registered for appraisal. Once the initial rotation is completed, additional pieces can then be presented to the above-noted limit.

The Heritage Landscape of Tantramar — Open to the Public; Free Admission

At 2:00 pm, in the Tantramar High School Auditorium, the Tantramar Heritage Trust will present displays and talks on the Heritage Landscape of Tantramar. The region has always held a fascination for its residents and visitors alike. The event will explore how Tantramar’s human history has been shaped by its natural surroundings.

For more information, contact: Steve Ridlington at 506-364-5040 (days) 506-536-3345 (evenings)

Important notice

1998 dues are now payable! More than 2/3 of the membership has forwarded dues and address updates. If your name on this newsletter’s mailing label is not in italics, your dues ($10.00) are payable. Your membership dues are very important to maintain services for you like this newsletter. Please forward your dues as soon as possible to the Trust (P.O. Box 6301, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6)

Now please note that we have lots of free space available but have run out of information.

We are quite certain that many of you are knowledgeable about aspects of the history of this area. For example, we’ve not received any information that could be used for our section on Heritage Properties.

So for all our readers who live in a heritage home, or would like to conduct some research on a heritage property, please do…. and let us know what you found out!

PS. Tickets for the Heritage Day Community Breakfast (to buy and sell) are enclosed with this newsletter.

Attention — Old Photos Wanted

The Tantramar Access Project (TAP) are requesting Sackville residents to bring in old pictures to the Sackville Public Library. The pictures should be of events or people of importance to Sackville’s history. TAP will scan the photo (free of charge!) and the images will be improved by eliminating blemishes and restoring faded sections. The pictures will be put together in a collage to be shown during Heritage Week (week of February 14th).

October, 1997

Editorial

Dear Friends of Heritage,

First of all, I must announce that the series “Tales of the Horse” by Dick McLeod has been discontinued in this newsletter. And for a very happy reason: Dick’s tales have been published by the Trust and are for sale at Tidewater Books, The Crofter and other locations in Sackville, or the book can be obtained from the Trust. So our Tantramar tales are reaching an ever-growing public. And remember, when you see a copy of “Tales of the Horse – personal reflections”, it will make a perfect little Christmas present for family and friends! Lots of friends!

By discontinuing this series, it will free up some space in this newsletter and now I can tell you Ralph Estabrooks’ stories about Sackville’s earlier connections with the neighbouring Tantramar community of Rockport in winters gone by.

I spent a great afternoon discussing the old days with Ralph Estabrooks last Friday. If any of you have stories to tell, you can reach me at home after 5:00 pm (536-0703) or write to:

… or I’ll meet you some afternoon at the white fence and we’ll talk…

—Peter Hicklin

Now more about The White Fence:

In our first two issues of this newsletter, we announced, through the reminiscences of Al Smith and Bob Milton, why it was to be known hereafter as “The White Fence”. Since our last newsletter, I received a 1931 Tribune Post clipping from Mrs. Barbara Fisher in which was announced the event of the famous plane crash at “the white fence” in Sackville. First of all, Bob Milton had said it occurred in 1932 when he was in grade 4 when in fact, the crash occurred in November, 1931 (Bob, you must have been in grade 3…). The clipping is reproduced here in full:

Plane Crash During Rugby Game

Nov. 9/31 — A moth plane, owned by Canadian Airways, Moncton, and piloted by Charles Fawcett Jr. was badly damaged when it crashed on the marsh here Thursday afternoon but fortunately the pilot escaped with a slight twist of his ankles. (He also suffered facial burns from the hot oil spewed by the engine during the crash — CWM).

Pilot Fawcett had hired the plane to do some advertizing for Mt. A before the game between UNB and Mt. A and had made several circles of the field. As he flew over the packed bleachers the last time and dropped a football attached to college colors (and also a dummy of a UNB player – CWM) the combing around the engine became loose and began to flap back and was in danger of wrecking the wing. Pilot Fawcett made a forced landing in a gully behind the Ogden school house. He lightened the plane and discharged his passenger, Perry Spicer, Mt. A student, and tried to take off.

Owing to a down draft caused by a high wind blowing over the hill several hundred yards away, Pilot Fawcett had difficulty in getting the plane to rise. When about fifteen feet from the ground he was faced directly by telephone wires and a few hundred feet ahead was a high stone wall. Realizing he could not clear the wires, he brought the plane down in a quick drop, but it struck the mud and tipped over, snapping off the wing and smashing the propeller blades.

Pilot Walter Fowler, who has charge of the Canadian Airways, was communicated with by telephone and came here by plane.

During the airplane episode UNB defeated Mt.A and took the N.B. rugby title by a total score of 13–5. On Nov. 11, UNB won the Maritime title in a game played here by defeating Acadia 13–0.

Although this is not mentioned in the article, this crash occurred where the white fence used to be (at the TCH overpass) and the spot remained forever known as “the white fence”.

With this clipping, Barbara had a note attached with explanations and corrections about this newspaper article from her husband Peter: First of all, “CWM” refers to “Scoop” Moffat, former editor of the Tribune. Furthermore, the plane wasn’t owned by the “Moncton Flying Club” as originally stated in The White Fence No. 2 but by “Canadian Airways” as clearly shown in this clipping. This illustrates that i) Bob Milton had a remarkably clear and accurate memory of this event and ii) that substantiation of distant memories by original reports “can’t be beat”. Again, I thank Bob Milton for bringing this story to our attention and for Barbara and Peter Fisher for finding and providing us the original 1931 clipping of the incident in the Tribune Post. That’s the way to bring history back to life my friends!

Tantramar Heritage Properties Series #2 — The Harbourmaster’s House

Back in the 1870s, Sackville’s harbour-master was Christopher Milner who lived at 30 Squire St. which is now Sandra Cant’s Bed & Breakfast known as The Harbourmaster’s House. The house is actually three buildings joined together with tree trunks serving as supports for the basement! Mr. Milner was not only busy in the Port of Sackville (see below) but he was quite likely always busy turning three buildings into one!

Did you know?

In this issue, we are advertizing the upcoming Yorkshire reunion in this area. It is therefore fitting to add a note from the 1907 Tribune Post: Did you know that “the late John Wry, who was buried on Sunday in his 87th year, was the grandson of John Wry, who in 1780, came from Yorkshire to Sackville and settled about where Bedford Dixon’s house now stands? He is survived by his cousin even older than himself, namely William C. Wry, who is nearly 88 and is the patriach of the Wry clan” (May 2, 1907).

During the 19th century, after the Yorkshiremen were well settled in, did you know that the Port of Sackville was a very busy place? For example, did you know that between 1824 and 1872, 118 vessels were built in the Sackville shipyards; 42 were square-rigged ships averaging 630 tons of displacement.

The 1850s was the port’s busiest decade with 32 ships constructed. The Sarah Dixon built by Charles Dixon in 1856 was the largest at 1,468 tons. Between 1868 and 1872, the single largest com- modity brought into the port was flour shipped from New York, Boston and Philadelphia. And between 1876 and 1900 did you know that 1880 was the busiest year for ships leaving Sackville: 53 vessels departed including 5 for Britain, 10 for the Caribbean, 16 for the Mid-Atlantic states and 22 for New England? Think of this today when you look at Sackville from Westcock and especially the location of the old port around where the Ram Pasture is today (remember the old dump?). And when you do, a bit of history should come alive right before your very eyes!

I thank Steve Ridlington for these gems about the Port of Sackville.

Did you know that 50 years ago (1 November, 1947), the Dominion Wildlife Service was born. And on April 6, 1950, the name was changed to Canadian Wildlife Service. In 1947, biologist George (Joe) Boyer established the CWS Atlantic Region office in Sackville. He chose Sackville because of its central location in the maritimes and its proximity to extensive wetlands in the N.B. – N.S. border region. He lived in Westcock (in the house currently occupied by John and Ann Wilson) and worked alone in the region until 1949 when Harry Webster established the office in Truro, N.S. and Les Tuck opened the office in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The Rockport Connection

In the old days, every winter, the township of Rockport was essentially cutoff from the rest of the world. Because, did you know that it was not until 1941 that the first snowplow started to clear the roads to Rockport in winter. So, before that date, how were the people of Rockport supposed to get food and medications during those winter months? My good neighbour in Sackville, Ralph Estabrooks, told me how. Because for a number of years, he was the Rockport connection.

But before Ralph, Joe Johnson’s son (Chum), who lived in the Sackville Hotel with his father, supplied Rockport with basic needs. When Ralph got the job to replace Chum, he had to use a horse and sled (with a closed cabin on the sled… important according to Ralph!) to travel once-a-month and bring basic necessities to that isolated community in winter. And the company he worked for was Rawleigh Products based in Montreal.

Rawleigh Products sold cosmetics, spices, various extracts, liniment, juices, baking powder, fly spray, rat poison and the like. And Ralph’s duties were not only limited to Rockport. He also sold door-to-door every month to customers in Scoudouc, Memramcook, Saint Joseph, Pré d’en Haut and Beaumont. But during the winters of the ’20s and 30s, there were no roads cleared to reach Rockport. Ralph’s 1937 Chev truck (see photo) could get to all the other locations without any problems. It was Rockport in winter which was the problem before 1941. Once the snowplow arrived on the scene, the government was able to plow the road to Rockport so that Ralph’s truck (on which he put on 30,000 miles/year! see photo) could make it through by that time. So the following is the story of how Ralph (and Chum before him) brought the necessities to a Tantramar community when it was cut off by ice and snow.

When Ralph started this job, he and Mildred (formerly Wheaton) lived with Mildred’s parents where Ken and Julia Fillmore now live, accross from the current entrance into Tantramar High School. Mildred’s parents, Irving and Bertha (Bowser) Wheaton raised their family on that property and Ralph and Mildred lived there when Ralph started working for Raleigh Products. He kept his horse in the barn next door on the James Murray property. And, as Ralph is pleased to say, “the barn still stands”.

When Ralph harnessed the horse for the trek to Rockport, he usually left Sackville around 8:30 a.m., went to Dorchester and Dorchester Cape and made it down to Hard Ledge by nightfall. From Hard Ledge, he crossed over to Peck’s Cove and onwards to the end of the road to Rockport. He sold goods to homes all along the way and customers put him up for the night.

His best sellers were Rawleigh’s Red Liniment (“a good seller”), Rawleigh’s Medicated Ointment (60 cents) and Rawleigh’s Aspirin (100 tablets for 60 cents). Lemon and orange juices in 40 oz. jars were popular as well as cans of cocoa powder to flavour desserts and to make chocolate cakes. Ralph’s parting words to me were that he “always had a good day in Rockport… even though the people were poor”.

I can only assume that on a cold January day in the 1930s, Ralph with his horse and sled must have been a welcome sight to many a Rockport family.

The Letters of Nathaniel Smith

As we continue our series of the letters of Al’s great, great, great…. grandfather Nathaniel Smith, we find that Nathaniel is now settling into his new home in Cumberland (Fort Lawrence) just across from Fort Cumberland (now Beauséjour) and he writes to his brother and sister back in England of his experiences in his new home. As in my last installments, the original spelling is kept unchanged.

Cumberland, Nova Scotia
20th of June, 1774
To: Mr. Benjamin Smith
Appleton by Wisk
Near No. ‘Allerton.
Yorkshire, Old England.

Dear Brother and Sister,

As I gave an opportunity of sending you a few lines by Christopher Flinloft, without putting you to any expense, and as I could not tell how to let you hear from me sooner and safer I therefore let my former letters bide by me until such times as he returned to Old England and as I had an opportunity I thought proper to let you know a few things that accorded since the date of the other letters. Its amazing to see and hear the various opinions of the people arrived in Nova Scotia. Some hold the land as good, as the account given by Charles Dixon in his letters to England, others think them pretty good but nothing compared to C. Dixon’s account – But a great many, especially the poorest sort, for which I’m greatly concerned, for I cannot see how they are to earn their bread or by what means they must be supported. Those are daily branding C. Dixon with being the author of lies and falsities both to his face and behind his back, and the very gentlemen who have land to sell, and have a desire the Country should be populated as soon as possible, blames Mr.Dixon for his large (economics) upon the Country and its amassing produce. ….TO BE CONTINUED.

The Yorkshire Connection:

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! — Calling all descendants of Yorkshire settlers!!

A “Yorkshire Gathering” is in the early stages of being planned for mid-summer 2000. The original suggestion of such a gathering was first announced in May of this year by Don Chapman (a descendant of the original William Chapman family — Chapman House at Fort Lawrence) of Mission, B.C. Don envisioned that a Gathering 2000 be focused on the Yorkshire settlement of the Chignecto region when 1,000 people migrated of from Yorkshire to Nova Scotia between 1772 and 1775. At that time, when the population of Nova Scotia was only approximately 17,000 souls, this significant immigration of people had a major impact on regional settlement patterns. This is a significant cause for reunion for many families in this area!

The gathering dubbed York 2000 will likely have a Homecoming focus with family gatherings and a two to three day scholarly section with formal presentations. It has been suggested that a span of 7–10 days in August 2000 be promoted as Yorkshire Days. Facilities at Mount Allison University have tentatively been booked for the period 6–12 August, 2000. The Gathering could attract several thousand Yorkshire descendants.

An electronic discussion group was established on the internet last June and currently 40+ subscribers are enthusiastically contributing ideas for the gathering. The organizational structure for York 2000 is still evolving, but we fully expect that the Tantramar Heritage Trust will be taking a lead role in facilitating the event. A Local Arrangements Committee is being assembled this winter and it is proposed that the committee include representatives from the following organizations or institutions: Tantramar Heritage Trust, Tantramar Tourism Association, Fort Beauséjour National Historic Site, Westmorland Historical Society, SE Branch of the NB Genealogical Society, Cumberland County Museum, Amherst Township Historical Society, North Cumberland Historical Society and Albert County Historical Society.

In addition to family reunions and a formal lecture series, some suggested associated events and activities are: establishment of a Centre for Yorkshire Studies at Mount Allison University, the development of a curriculum study unit for schools on the Yorkshire emigration, reenactment of events centered at Fort Beauséjour, bus tours of local historical sites and the establishment of a centralized genealogy database.

Tantramar Heritage Trust members wishing more information on York 2000 should subscribe to the discussion list by sending an e-mail message to: http://doc.ucfv.bc.ca/mailman/listinfo/york2000. If you are interested in helping out the local arrangements committee, please contact Al Smith at 536-0164. Much more information on the Gathering and on the Yorkshire immigration to this area will appear in future issues of The White Fence.

N.B. Genealogical Society, Southeastern Branch

Tantramar Trust members please note that on March 21, Ms. Linda Evans will speak on Irish Settlement in Southeast New Brunswick. These topics should be of interest to many members and we will try to get some summaries at the white fence.

A special gift

On 31 October, 1997, Mr. Herbert C. Read presented the Tantramar Heritage Trust with the two volumes For Love of Stone, written by Gwen Martin. I’ve read and enjoyed both volumes from cover to cover and wish to announce to all members that these volumes will be accessible to the members once the Trust has office and library space available.

On behalf of the executive of the Tantramar Heritage Trust and the Tantramar Historical Society, thank you Mr. and Mrs. Read for this most generous gift.

—Peter Hicklin